The Law of Rock and Roll

Series produced by Michael Olivas

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Michael Olivas -- the rock n roll law professor -- comments on legal issues involving entertainment, musicians and fans.

Michael Olivas -- the rock n roll law professor -- comments on legal issues involving entertainment, musicians and fans.


116 Pieces

Order by: Newest First | Oldest First
Class 16: Imitation May Be the Sincerest Form of Flattery, But...
From: Michael Olivas
Series: The Law of Rock and Roll
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Imitations of songs and artists range from flattery to identity theft.

Bought by KSLU, Goat Radio, KUHF, Indie3 Radio, WTJU and more


  • Added: Nov 16, 2014
  • Length: 04:50
  • Purchases: 6
Class 15: The Law of Elvis, Vol. 2
From: Michael Olivas
Series: The Law of Rock and Roll
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Elvis left an incredible legacy of music and performances, and he also blazed a long legal trail.

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  • Added: Nov 15, 2014
  • Length: 03:35
  • Purchases: 3
Class 14: The Law of Elvis, Vol. 1
From: Michael Olivas
Series: The Law of Rock and Roll
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Elvis Presley is known as The King of Rock and Roll but in many respects he is the King of Litigation as well.

Bought by KSLU, Goat Radio, KUHF, and Indie3 Radio


  • Added: Nov 15, 2014
  • Length: 04:46
  • Purchases: 4
Class 13: Rap Lyrics and Criminal Justice
From: Michael Olivas
Series: The Law of Rock and Roll
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Police in the U.S. have begun using rap language as confessions rather than the bragging it likely is.

Bought by KSLU, Goat Radio, and Indie3 Radio


  • Added: Nov 16, 2014
  • Length: 04:35
  • Purchases: 3
Class 12: Musical Life After Death
From: Michael Olivas
Series: The Law of Rock and Roll
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Michael Jackson keeps making money after his death.

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  • Added: Nov 15, 2014
  • Length: 04:26
  • Purchases: 4
Class 11: Immigration and Entertainment Law
From: Michael Olivas
Series: The Law of Rock and Roll
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In the 1970s, John Lennon and Yoko Ono were not departed from the US because of "prosecutorial discretion."

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  • Added: Nov 16, 2014
  • Length: 04:31
  • Purchases: 5
Class 10: A Taxing Matter
From: Michael Olivas
Series: The Law of Rock and Roll
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It is said that nothing is certain but death and taxes. This saying applies with a vengeance in rock and roll.

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  • Added: Nov 15, 2014
  • Length: 04:02
  • Purchases: 4
Class 9: Will the Real Coasters Please Sing
From: Michael Olivas
Series: The Law of Rock and Roll
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Many rock bands live on for years on the oldies circuit as founders leave and replacements are hired.

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  • Added: Nov 16, 2014
  • Length: 03:49
  • Purchases: 3
Class 8: Death Be Not Proud
From: Michael Olivas
Series: The Law of Rock and Roll
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Death is the continuation of the established star system.

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  • Added: Nov 17, 2014
  • Length: 03:25
  • Purchases: 4
Class 7: Old Songs and European Copyrights
From: Michael Olivas
Series: The Law of Rock and Roll
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What do the Beatles, Bob Dylan, the Beach Boys and Neil Young have in common? In 2013 they all released vast catalogs of old recordings previously...

Bought by KSLU, Goat Radio, KUHF, Indie3 Radio, and WTJU


  • Added: Nov 17, 2014
  • Length: 04:47
  • Purchases: 5
Class 6: The Law and Back-Up Singers
From: Michael Olivas
Series: The Law of Rock and Roll
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Many great singers and players work in the shadows because they are "work for hire."

Bought by KSLU, Goat Radio, and Indie3 Radio


  • Added: Nov 16, 2014
  • Length: 03:55
  • Purchases: 3
Class 5: Rap-a-Lot Records and Contracts
From: Michael Olivas
Series: The Law of Rock and Roll
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A case study of how an entertainment company took advantage of a rapper.

Bought by KSLU, Goat Radio, and Indie3 Radio


  • Added: Nov 17, 2014
  • Length: 03:18
  • Purchases: 3
Class 4: Be My Ringtone and Download
From: Michael Olivas
Series: The Law of Rock and Roll
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As media technology has evolved, some artists have done better than others in securing rights and payments for work distributed on multiple platforms.

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  • Added: Nov 17, 2014
  • Length: 04:06
  • Purchases: 3
Class 3: Don't Mess with Downloads
From: Michael Olivas
Series: The Law of Rock and Roll
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Since the proliferation of digital media many people think downloading music online is free and legal, but think about the impact on artists.

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  • Added: Nov 19, 2014
  • Length: 03:42
  • Purchases: 3
Class 2: Contract Law and Dirty Dancing
From: Michael Olivas
Series: The Law of Rock and Roll
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Ltigation between Phil Spector and his former wife Ronnie Spector demonstrate the limits of old contracts.

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  • Added: Nov 17, 2014
  • Length: 03:27
  • Purchases: 3
Class 1: Losing My Religion Because of Noise Ordinances
From: Michael Olivas
Series: The Law of Rock and Roll
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When living in a dorm the weekend starts on Thursday night with music turned up to 11.

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  • Added: Nov 17, 2014
  • Length: 03:30
  • Purchases: 3
Class 64: The Allure of Artist-run Festivals
From: Michael Olivas
Series: The Law of Rock and Roll
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Artists do not always have control over or reap the financial rewards of musical festivals, but the successful alternative models are scarce, and h...

Bought by KSLU, WTJU, and KUHF


  • Added: Oct 08, 2018
  • Length: 05:00
  • Purchases: 3
Class 57: Blurred Lines and Stealing Song Styles
From: Michael Olivas
Series: The Law of Rock and Roll
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The late, great Marvin Gaye’s children brought a copyright infringement suit against several artists involved in the popular Blurred Lines song, in...

Bought by KSLU, WTJU, and KUHF


  • Added: Nov 02, 2018
  • Length: 05:00
  • Purchases: 3
Class 58: The Developing Law of #MeToo
From: Michael Olivas
Series: The Law of Rock and Roll
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If there has been a single social movement that has recently taken root and shaped its setting, it is surely the Hashtag ME, TOO phenomenon, callin...

Bought by KSLU, WTJU, and KUHF


  • Added: Nov 02, 2018
  • Length: 04:59
  • Purchases: 3
Class 59: Terrorism and Concerts, Vol. 2
From: Michael Olivas
Series: The Law of Rock and Roll
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The horrific mass shooting that killed almost 60 attendees and wounded another 850 concertgoers at the Route 91 Harvest country music festival in L...

Bought by KSLU, WTJU, and KUHF


  • Added: Nov 02, 2018
  • Length: 05:00
  • Purchases: 3

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