Blackletter

Delve into the fascinating realm of music publishing and royalties with Tom Dunlap as he explores the iconic collaboration between Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney on the song 'Say Say Say,' leading to an unexpected twist involving The Beatles' catalog. Discover how Michael Jackson's strategic acquisition of music rights paved the way for a lavish lifestyle and dig into the intricate world of mechanical royalties, performance royalties, synchronization fees, and print rights. Explore the legacy left behind by this strategic move, and gain insights into how music publishers generate income through various rights channels. Tune in to uncover the interesting tale of ownership, royalties, and the interplay between legendary artists in the ever-evolving landscape of music rights.

In this compelling episode, Tom Dunlap delves into the intricate world of witness tampering, examining its profound significance, legal ramifications, and evolving challenges in the age of social media. Drawing from recent headlines surrounding former President Donald Trump's alleged witness tampering on the Truth Social platform, Tom takes you on a thought-provoking journey through the dark corners of legal manipulation and intimidation. Tune in to gain a comprehensive understanding of the multifaceted issue of witness tampering in today's digital communication age.

What role do lawyers have in the business of patents and intellectual property?On the Blackletter podcast this week, host Tom Dunlap sits down with episode guest Anthony Brown, a former lawyer and President of Cascades Ventures, who made a significant switch in his professional path when he began working in patent monetization. After spending the beginning of his career as a law firm partner and a government attorney, Anthony decided to turn to the business end of IP and patents and now runs a company that performs patent monetization. On the episode, Anthony explains how he got into patent monetization and what this line of work entails. In doing so, he expands upon the importance of patents, what it means to have one, and the various factors that may influence a patient's value. Although each case is unique, Anthony sheds light on the general ins and outs of the patent monetization process and intellectual property law.To hear about Anthony's career in law and patent monetization, tune in to this enlig

In this episode, Tom Dunlap delves into a groundbreaking Supreme Court case involving Jack Daniels Properties and Bad Spaniels. The battle over a trademark takes an unexpected turn when Bad Spaniels claims their parody chew toy is protected by the First Amendment. But what will the Supreme Court decide? Does the First Amendment shield them from trademark infringement claims? The verdict holds significant implications for brand owners. Tune in to discover the shocking ruling and its potential game-changing effects.

What advice would an expert give on maintaining business security and compliance?On the Blackletter podcast this week, host Tom Dunlap interviews episode guest Jennifer Morris, a former attorney for the CIA with law experience inside the government and businesses. Jennifer is here to share her insights on business compliance, risk balancing, and risk management. As a professional with top-secret clearance, Jen had to become an expert in the ins and outs of security and compliance. Today, she helps clients in the private sector and tells listeners everything she can share about her current role.Business compliance is a tough act to balance, and Jen shares how her background helps her bring a business perspective to the practice of law regarding compliance and risk management. From safely securing government contracts to gaining cybersecurity maturity model certification, she explains all of the different aspects of her role that enables her to provide professional expertise on business security.Tune in to lear

In this episode, Tom Dunlap delves into the recent Supreme Court ruling that struck down the ability of universities to use race as an additional factor in student admissions. He provides a comprehensive overview of the history of affirmative admissions practices, the key legal cases that shaped these practices, and the subsequent changes in admissions policies. Tom examines the Supreme Court's opinion on the matter, highlighting the reasoning behind their decision. He also explores the implications of this ruling for universities and discusses the alternative approaches they may adopt to achieve diversity goals. Join us as we delve into the complex landscape of race-based admissions and its impact on higher education institutions.

How can law professionals break through the barriers to achieve their success?On the Blackletter podcast this week, host Tom Dunlap revisits some prior season 9 episodes where he and guest speakers discussed professional success and how to achieve it.The power of small numbers with Gordan Sumner (0:44)As a former Army officer, Gordon Sumner had to make significant changes to succeed with his nonprofit organization, Veterans Moving Forward. In his interview with Tom, Gordan discussed his organization which provides service and emotional support dogs to veterans, and the logistics challenges he overcame as its CEO.He explains that teamwork, finding true believers in his mission, and increasing monthly donor support is crucial to his nonprofit. He also provides personal experiences to elaborate on the power of small numbers. In addition, he shares that asking for input from the rest of his team is integral to his organization.Finally, he shares his advice for organizations struggling to manage their operations a

In recent news, the United States and the Dutch government have announced tighter regulations on exports of certain circuit boards and semiconductor chips to China. Tom Dunlap discusses the importance of understanding three essential rules for exporting and importing from the United States.Export Administration Regulations (EAR): Deals with commercial goods and non-controlled, non-military items.International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR): Involves the US Munitions List (USML) and is more stringent, aimed at preventing military-use items from reaching unfriendly foreign countries.Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC): Administers economic sanctions against countries and individuals, making it vital to check for prohibited items and persons when dealing with exports to certain countries.To find more information, one can visit export.gov, the state department's website, or the OFAC website. It's crucial to seek advice from an attorney or an expert in ITAR, EAR, and OFAC Rules before exporting anything of

This week on Monday Morning Minutes, Tom Dunlap discusses the controversial Apple trademark case happening in Switzerland. Apple is trying to trademark a 2D image of an apple without a bite taken from it. The 111-year-old Swiss Fruit Union, which protects the interests of fruit growers, is concerned. Tom takes on this odd situation and what he thinks will happen next. Tune in to this episode of Monday Morning Minutes to hear more. 

On the Blackletter podcast this week, host Tom Dunlap concludes his three-part interview with Mark Fava, an attorney who works as an ombudsman and Vice President for Boeing Corporation. Together Tom and Mark discuss Mark’s advice for listeners trying to launch their career success. Building success in business and aviation law took Mark several years and lots of hard work. On this episode, Mark shares three pieces of advice he would offer budding entrepreneurs and other professionals looking to further their careers. He describes these as the three P’s: planning, persistence, and patience. Mark provided examples of the persistence and patience that he practiced to fuel his career success. He also explains how he went to conferences over the years and built relationships with other professionals that helped him along his career journey. Tune in to this episode to hear Mark share his career wisdom, and check out episodes 8-10 of The Blackletter Podcast to listen to his entire interview.

This week Tom discusses how to love the practice of law and strategies for being a happy lawyer. A lot of these strategies apply not just to law, but apply to any job that anyone's in, but they're things that especially affect professionals who work in a high stress career. Listen to the episode for tips on improving your lifestyle through 1. establishing your boundaries, 2. taking breaks, and 3. exercise and diet.

How can we pass along wisdom gained from our professional leaders?On the Blackletter podcast this week, host Tom Dunlap speaks once more with Mark Fava, an attorney who works as an ombudsman and Vice President for Boeing Corporation. Tom and Mark discuss how Mark leveraged the knowledge that he gained throughout his career to mentor and lead other veterans and attorneys.He describes the lessons he learned and the knowledge he gained from working with his two great admirals during his time in the military. During his military and law career Mark picked up bits of insight and career expertise along the way that shaped his path, and the way he mentors other veterans and attorneys. He describes how he guides his mentees that he connects with through Linkedin. Finally, Mark shares the tips he learned from his own leaders throughout his career journey on his blog TheAviatorLawyer.com, and he discusses the results of his experience starting this blog.Listen to the show to learn more about Mark’s professional experie

On this episode of Monday Morning Minutes, Tom Dunlap pulls back the curtain on a taboo subject – why lawyers quit law. Drawing on research and personal experience, he covers the top reasons why lawyers leave either temporarily or permanently. Stress and burn out, lack of work-life balance, mental health issues and more–it can be tough being an attorney. However, Tom discusses how the legal profession is evolving and upcoming solutions.

How can legal professionals launch their careers in aviation law?On the Blackletter podcast this week, host Tom Dunlap is joined by Mark Fava, a practicing attorney who works as an ombudsman and Vice President for Boeing Corporation. Together they speak about Mark’s career background that led to his current position and his work mentoring other veterans and attorneys.Mark is a senior executive lawyer who experienced a lot throughout his career in aviation law. As the chief operations attorney at Delta Airlines during 9/11, Mark got a first-hand look at the litigation process for extreme airport security breaches. Since then, Mark started his aviation law practice before beginning his professional work with Boeing. Mark discusses his career path, his role as an ombudsman, and the professional experiences that contributed to his expertise in aviation law.Check out this episode for more insight into Mark’s legal background. And tune in to the next episode to hear Mark’s advice for people looking to start their l

Where is the line between art, and advertising? The unresolved question is testing the direct democracy of a small New England town, where a painting of pastries has led to zoning dispute, a First Amendment lawsuit and a local vote.The town zoning board got involved, deciding that the pastry painting was not so much art as advertising, and so could not remain as is because of its size. Faced with modifying or removing the mural, or possibly dealing with fines and criminal charges, the bakery owner sued, saying the town is violating his freedom of speech rights.

Did you know there is a naming committee in Iceland called Mannanafnanefnd and they are a governmental body that regulates the naming of children. Upon a further look, they aren't the only country to have regulated the naming of children. This week Tom discusses illegal naming from around the world and some of the strict rules to protect a child from a name which could be deemed offensive or embarrassing in that society.

How can professionals form and identify valuable business connections?On the Blackletter podcast this week, host Tom Dunlap concludes his interview with Jason Levin, founder of Ready, Set, Launch. In this episode, Jason discusses the key themes of his book "Relationships to Infinity: The Art and Science of Keeping in Touch" and how individuals and entrepreneurs can apply its lessons to succeed in their business pursuits.Jason's book focuses on networking and the nature of making connections with people. He discusses the importance of forming new relationships and leveraging and strengthening existing ones. Jason's book teaches readers how to identify and build upon ties with casual acquaintances that hold potential value and how to think about their connections. People can make beneficial connections by defining their relations, forming a mindset based on networking, and focusing on authentic relationship building. Jason discusses this and other insightful concepts from his book, including gratitude practices

This week on Monday Minutes, Tom Dunlap digs into the world of trial by combat – how it originated, how it evolved and how it relates to the legal profession. Tom explains how two men would face off in battle to settle charges, accusations and more. Nobles would hire a sword to stand in their place, and the practice became a complex game. Tune in to hear how trial by combat transformed to a jury of peers, and how lawyers came to be.

In today's episode, we discuss consumer privacy laws and their importance. Recently, two states, Montana and Tennessee, passed new Consumer Privacy Act laws. Along with the CCPA (California Consumer Privacy Act), a privacy law that requires businesses that collect personal information to provide certain disclosures, these newly passed laws make it are easier for you to fall into compliance. Compliance can be as easy as having a link at the bottom of your page that people visiting your website click on and it gives them the details about your privacy policy. Generally, all you have to do is disclose what information you're collecting and how you use that information. It's a good idea to talk to a lawyer about your privacy policy.

What is the best way for people to stay connected with their business contacts?On the Blackletter podcast this week, host Tom Dunlap is joined once more by Jason Levin, author of "Relationships to Infinity: The Art and Science of Keeping in Touch" and founder of the firm Ready, Set, Launch. In this episode, Jason breaks down the importance of maintaining connections with professional contacts and the obstacles he had to face to make headway in his networking experiences.Jason first realized the importance of making professional connections while pursuing his goal of working an internship in Paris. He explains how he moved past his discomfort of interacting with connected professionals who could help him achieve his goal. Instead, Jason developed a system for tracking his networking efforts to help him make the connections necessary to succeed. Today he swears by Excel and other tracking systems for managing his interactions and seeing positive results from business relationships.Listen to this episode to hear