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Lutzker & Lutzker lawyers are deeply involved with the arts on both a professional and a personal level. Our clients include companies involved in producing, financing and distributing motion pictures and television and video programming, as well as those in the music industry, theater and the visual arts. The firm regularly counsels these clients on intellectual property, contract, financing, rights acquisition and other business matters. A significant part of the firm’s litigation practice concerns enforcement of the intellectual property rights of creative artists. From starting their own art gallery specializing in the work of self-taught artists from around the globe to organizing the national touring exhibition from the Topkapi Palace in Istanbul, Arnold and Susan Lutzker have been dedicated to the arts at all levels.
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REPRESENTATIVE MATTERS

  • Advising The Johnson Group, a Northern Virginia film production company specializing in documentary films, in connection with rights and music clearances and production and distribution agreements for award-winning Paper Clips.

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  • Serving as general counsel to, and on the Executive Committee of, the Cultural Alliance of Greater Washington guiding it through major expansions of its activities, including the creation of its popular TicketPlace, the development of its online service, culturecapital.com, negotiation and documentation of its leases, union negotiations, and health insurance for member organizations and advising on other employment, contractual and intellectual property issues.

  • Forming and representing the Palace Arts Foundation in negotiating licensing, merchandising and publishing agreements for the international exhibition Palace of Gold & Light: Treasures from the Topkapi, Istanbul, which contained more than 250 precious and historic objects, including the famous Topkapi Dagger, the throne and sword of Suleyman the Magnificent and robes of Mehmed the Conqueror.

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  • Litigating in federal court on behalf of plaintiffs, including:

  • Legendary soul singer Sam Moore alleging that the 2008 film Soul Men infringed his trademarks, persona and publicity rights.

  • Los Angeles screenwriter Yolanda Buggs against DreamWorks Animation and Paramount Pictures alleging copyright infringement of a screenplay she wrote as a graduate student at the American Film Institute.

  • Guiding litigation in Europe establishing the precedent of moral rights protection for American filmmakers.

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  • Negotiating contracts on behalf of a nonprofit organization for major celebrity concerts and fundraising events.

  • Counseling start-up companies in film distribution and production.