Any Mudcatter Legal Eagles out there ?

Subject: Any Mudcatter Legal Eagles out there ?
From: Betsy
Date: 15 Jan 09 - 05:32 AM

(Not Barrack Room Lawyers).
I've had a contract sent to me from a tv company wishing to use (part) of one of my songs (sang by someone else) and I don't know if it is a duff deal or not.
Do we know of any sympathetic Entertainment-biased Solicitor / Lawyer who could give me good advice. Probably needs to be UK based.
Thanks in advance.

Subject: RE: Any Mudcatter Legal Eagles out there ?
From: GUEST,Cats
Date: 15 Jan 09 - 05:44 AM

What part of the country are you?

Subject: RE: Any Mudcatter Legal Eagles out there ?
From: Betsy
Date: 15 Jan 09 - 06:27 AM

Hi Cats - North East England.

Subject: RE: Any Mudcatter Legal Eagles out there ?
From: nutty
Date: 15 Jan 09 - 06:44 AM

You could ask PRS - they may be able to help or someone local - Vin, Richard,Jez - it must have happened to them at some time in their careers. (or Alan Bell)

Subject: RE: Any Mudcatter Legal Eagles out there ?
From: Betsy
Date: 15 Jan 09 - 07:15 AM

Hiya Nutty just did ask PRS said " We do not offer any advice on contracts - the best people to contact would be the Musicians Union".
You're right - I should have asked Vin.

Subject: RE: Any Mudcatter Legal Eagles out there ?
From: folkypaul
Date: 15 Jan 09 - 07:34 AM

Hi Betsy

What songs that then?

Paulo

Subject: RE: Any Mudcatter Legal Eagles out there ?
From: Rasener
Date: 15 Jan 09 - 07:37 AM

Betsy
PM me with what you want to ask Vin, and I will pass it on to him on Saturday and see what he thinks.
Les

Subject: RE: Any Mudcatter Legal Eagles out there ?
From: Leadfingers
Date: 15 Jan 09 - 07:40 AM

Betsy - IF you are writing , and performing for pennies , M U membership may not be a bad idea ! They have a Free Legal set up for members ! As does MY little lot , Equity !

Subject: RE: Any Mudcatter Legal Eagles out there ?
From: Bonnie Shaljean
Date: 15 Jan 09 - 07:45 AM

PM Richard Bridge and ask him if he can recommend anyone in your area (he's a lawyer based in Kent). In a past issue of the PRS in-house mag I saw an article written by him, so he's obviously pretty well clued-in.

Subject: RE: Any Mudcatter Legal Eagles out there ?
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 15 Jan 09 - 07:54 AM

I let my Equity membership lapse, but I understood that they were hand in glove with the MU these days.

JM

Subject: RE: Any Mudcatter Legal Eagles out there ?
From: Bonnie Shaljean
Date: 15 Jan 09 - 08:07 AM

Seems so - ages ago I had to take part in a BBC-TV costume drama, as a Victorian harpist playing at a garden party. I didn't have any spoken lines but there was the possibility of singing (though in the end I just played instrumental pieces). There was a requirement that everyone in the cast had to be members of Equity, to which I did not belong; but I was accepted on the basis of my MU membership, which they allowed as a equal substitute.

Subject: RE: Any Mudcatter Legal Eagles out there ?
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 15 Jan 09 - 10:46 AM

Lawyers lawyer.

Agents do deals.

Mainstream agents do mainsream deals, folk agents know the price of folk music best.

Someone like Jacey and Brian Bedford would know about the numbers.

Yes, I can do the small print but for no fee you don't get a huge amount of time!