Fair use is critical to protecting free speech about social, political, and cultural issues. Here are projects and stories from our work that show how important defending fair use is to protecting freedom of speech.

Come join us February 11 from 12pm-2pm for a workshop on financing and distributing your films and video content! Here's a link to buy tickets.

The workshop is part of San Diego Film Week will be held at Studio Unseen, 4608 Park Blvd, San Diego, CA 92116.

Anyone creating independent TV, film, or online content has to wear many diverse hats these days. To be a professional filmmaker means not just knowing how to produce film, but how to handle financing and distribution. Come learn about the legal and business aspects of film financing and worldwide distribution.

The workshop will be in two parts. First Jeff Deverett of Deverett Media will give a thorough overview on financing & distribution. Then, we will have an open Q&A with a panel of experienced business and legal experts, including attorneys Valerie Nemeth of the San Diego Sports and Entertainment and Sports Lawyers, Inc and Art Neill of New Media Rights along with other special guests with particular expertise in financing and distribution.

New Media Rights is proud to provide legal services to social impact films, including Dianne Griffin and Erica Jordan's new documentary film Painted Nails from DigAll Media.  Painted Nails tells the story of a San Francisco nail salon owner's efforts to address public health challenges in the nail salon industry.  

So, you want to be protected by the DMCA section 512 safe harbors? Some changes at the Copyright Office mean that you’ll need to now electronically register any services you want covered by the DMCA through the Copyright Office (including re-registering for all current service providers covered by the DMCA). You'll then need to re-register every three years to keep the DMCA safe harbor protections active.

Ever wonder what sorts of issues you may encounter as a creator or entrepreneur, and when you might want to reach out to a real life lawyer? That’s what our book "Don't Panic: A Legal Guide (in plain english) for Small Businesses and Creative Professionals" is all about. This book is designed to help you through the legal issues you may run into as a creator, entrepreneur, or innovator. We focus on issues you may encounter from the inception of your business to the moment (that hopefully doesn’t happen) you get a nasty lawyer letter for the first time. While this book is not a substitute for legal advice, it can serve as a helpful guide to preventing and resolving legal issues.