Entertainment Law: Getting Started

Some of the databases linked to in this Guide are subscription databases. Access is available to these databases on the Widener campus and off.

Lexis, Westlaw & Bloomgerg Law - all Widener students have an individual Lexis & Westlaw password. If you have trouble with your password please contact Lexis, Westlaw or Bloomberg.

CCH/IntelliConnect - Before using IntelliConnect you must register for a username and password.

Other databases - When using other databases off campus you may be prompted for your name and library barcode number. The library barcode number is printed on the back of your student ID.

This guide serves as a resource for students in Professor Evans' Impact of New Technologies on Entertainment Law seminar.  Feel free to contact any of the Widener Law Commonwealth librarians for additional assistance. 

Entertainment law includes several specialty areas. Entertainment Law overlaps with intellectual property law (licensing, copyright, and trademark). Other areas that pertain to Entertainment Law include privacy, tax, contracts, defamation, labor and employment, censorship and media law.

During class, we will go over the following topics/sources:

• Library Website
• Library Catalog
  
• Library Libguides
  
• World Cat
  
• Interlibrary Loan
  
• A to Z List
• Databases
  
• HeinOnline
  
• Legal Trac
  
• Proquest
  
• Ebsco Host
  
• SSRN
• CCH/Intelliconnect
  
• BNA/Bloomberg Law
  
• Westlaw
  
• Lexis
  
• General websites
  
• Google
  
• Advanced Search
  
• Search Operators
  
• Goolge Scholar
  
• Overall tips/suggestions
  

Finding Books on Entertainment Law in the Library

Materials in the Widener University Libraries are classed according to the Library of Congress classification schedule.  When performing a subject search in the online library catalog (http://libcat.widener.edu/), start by using one of the following subject headings to find materials in the Widener libraries on Entertainment Law:

• Performing arts Law and legislation 
• Entertainers Legal status, laws, etc. 
• Artists' contracts 
• Music trade Law and legislation 

You can also perform a keyword search using the same phrases or "entertainment law."  A keyword search is a broader search and you will likely receive more hits than if you performed a subject specific search.

Alternately, materials on entertainment law may also be included under the topic of Intellectual Property or Copyright or Trademarks.  Perform a keyword search in the library online catalog using “intellectual property”,  "copyright", or "trademarks" to find additional materials pertaining to entertainment law.

Obtaining Books and Articles through InterLibrary Loan

If none of the Widener libraries owns the book or article you need, you may request it through Interlibrary loan.  ILLiad is the Interlibrary loan service used by Widener.  Please note that you must register for ILLiad before you can request materials through InterLibrary Loan.  To register, click on the Interlibrary Loan link listed under the “Library Services” section on the Library’s homepage.

Next, click on Interlibrary Loan Form, select the campus on which you are located, and click on "First Tiime Users."   If you are a registered user of ILLiad simply enter your username and password to continue.

Once you have registered, fill in as much of the request form as possible. The more information that you provide, the easier it will be for your request to be processed and fulfilled.

Most photocopies will be delivered electronically. You will be notified via your Widener e-mail account with a link to your article which will be in .pdf format.

All interlibrary loan items, except copied articles, must be returned to the Information Desk by the due date.

To locate articles on the topic of Entertainment Law, perform a search in one of the databases listed below.  The following databases are listed on the library’s webpage under Resources or by going directly to: http://commonwealthlaw.widener.edu/current-students/law-library/resources/database-list/ 

Use the databses to search for articles on your topic.  Some databases provide full-text display of articles while others only provide citations to, or abstracts of, articles:

BNA--Intellectual property library

CCH/IntelliConnect—Copyright Law Reporter

EbscoHost--Scholarly, business, health and other journals. Also includes newspapers and general magazines.

HeinOnline - Full-text legal journals in PDF format. Usually covers each journal back to the first volume. Also includes: European Center for Minority Issues, Federal Register Library, Code of Federal Regulations, Legal Classics, Philip C. Jessup Library, Session Laws, Treaties and Agreements Library, U.S. Attorney General Opinions, U.S. Federal Legislative History Library, U.S. Presidential Library, U.S. Statutes at Large, U.S. Supreme Court Library.

Index to Legal Periodicals and Books--Index to law reviews, journals and books. Some full text available.

JSTOR--JSTOR is an online collection of journals in the arts, humanities and social sciences.

LegalTrac--Index to legal journals and newspapers, includes selected full-text articles.

Lexis

ProQuest--General magazines and periodicals online. Including historical New York Times and Wall Street Journal.

SSRN Social Science Research Network(Locate SSRN by searching in the library catalog where Title = SSRN)

SSRN's objective is to provide worldwide distribution of research to authors and their readers and to facilitate communication among them at the lowest possible cost.

Westlaw

WorldCat--Search for books, journals, videos, and other items available in libraries worldwide.