As in all projects, unless you are already knowledgeable about the topic area, it is best to start with introductory resources and then to consult more focused works; moving from secondary to primary resources.
Articles, books and government documents can provide you with an overview of your topic and help you think of search terms that you might not have thought of otherwise. They will also cite primary authorities such as statutes and case law. You can then use the primary sources cited in the secondary sources as a jumping off point to find other primary sources.
Summary
Content Highlights:
Entertainment and Intellectual Property Law discusses how intellectual property law protects entertainment-related intellectual property. It provides practical information by summarizing copyright, trademark, right of publicity, patent, common law copyright, trade secret, misappropriation, and "idea submissions" law.
Author(s): Mark S. Lee
Summary
Content Highlights:
Film and Multimedia and the Law (formerly titled How to Avoid Reel Legal Problems: A Film Making & Multimedia Legal Guide) provides a detailed legal guide for lawyers and non-lawyers encompassing legal issues surrounding filmmaking. It covers copyright, trademark, and all other intellectual property issues that may be encountered, such as legal issues surrounding scriptwriting, idea submission, defamation, right to privacy/publicity, and fair use in copyright. It explains the complex legal principles and illustrates them with compelling legal decisions that are illustrative and entertaining to read. Over 1,000 case citations are included. It also discusses the practical limitations imposed by intellectual property.
Author(s): James G. Sammataro
Summary
Updated three times per year.
Content Highlights:
Lindey on Entertainment, Publishing, and the Arts, 3d, updated three times yearly, provides expert coverage of entertainment law, mass communications, and the arts. Includes state-of-the-art forms and detailed guidance for drafting agreements.
Author(s): Michael Landau
Features
In addition to Bloomberg Law, Lexis, and Westlaw, the Law Library has several databases that specifically index and pull together scholarly legal publications, including:
List of Entertainment Law CALI Lessons.