They Fought the Law : Rock Music Goes to Court [Hardcover]

Stan Soocher (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 1998

It's Perry Mason-meets-Billy Joel in this account of the most famous lawsuits in rock history. They Fought the Law traces the difficulties rockers have faced dealing with bad contracts, personnel problems, litigious fans, and crooked managers and accountants. While it's the music that counts, the music-makers are often robbed of their rightful share of the profits that the music creates - and may spend decades sorting out ill-considered contracts signed in the heat of their early careers. This book pulls back the veil on the often shady business practices that characterize the rock world - and shows how some courageous artists have fought the system and won. Based on firsthand accounts, interviews with the participants, and detailed study of court records and documents, Stan Soocher brings new light to the often tangled legal problems faced by rock artists. In doing so, he shows another - less-glamorous - side of the rock business.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

From management problems to copyright infringement suits and merchandising deals gone sour, rock musicians have been plagued by legal troubles since the genre's earliest days. Here, rock critic and attorney Soocher profiles some of the industry's most seminalAand flamboyantAcourtroom battles. In pithy detail, he revisits the bitter disputes that artists such as the Beatles, the Shirelles and George Michael have had with their record labels; the dramatic trial in which the heavy metal band Judas Priest was accused of inciting two teens to commit suicide; and the landmark Supreme Court case involving the First Amendment rights of the rap group 2 Live Crew. What emerges is a cautionary tale about the uneasy intersection between art and commerce in which musicians who lack business savvy are ripe for exploitation. More noteworthy is Soocher's exploration of the ways legal wranglings can have an impact on an artist's creative output, often permanently altering the dynamics of the artist/record industry relationship. A copyright infringement suit filed against Michael Jackson in 1992, for example, has left record companies increasingly hesitant to accept unsolicited material from new artists, making it harder for unknowns to break into the business. Readers unfamiliar with legal jargon may at times get bogged down in the details of courtroom proceedings, but Soocher's account of the financial and legal pitfalls into which an unsuspecting musician can stumble is an eye-opening reminder that where there is money to be made, lawsuits are sure to follow. Foreign rights, Jennifer Hayes.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Founding editor of the industry publication Entertainment Law & Finance, attorney/journalist Soocher details nine court cases to illustrate his claim that "The legal issues and lawsuits that artists and their estates become involved in can have as much impact on the music we hear as do the musicians with whom the artists work or even the songs they choose to record." While most of the cases will be familiar to even the most casual newspaper reader, Soocher goes inside the courtroom for a bird's-eye view of such issues as copyright infringement (the Elvis Presley estate), obscenity charges (2 Live Crew), and alleged suicide responsibility vs. First Amendment rights (Judas Priest). While detailing the legal and political maneuverings of both sides, Soocher is also a skilled observer of events outside the courtroom. Readable for nonlawyers and recommended for public libraries; academic and law school collections should have an interested constituency as well.?David M. Turkalo, Suffolk Univ. Law Sch. Lib., Boston
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 252 pages
• Publisher: Schirmer Trade Books (November 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0028647319
• ISBN-13: 978-0028647319
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,280,908 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #84 in Books > Law > Business > Entertainment

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good, December 21, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: They Fought the Law : Rock Music Goes to Court (Hardcover)

A better book that deals with rock legal/economic matters is ROCKONOMICS. A lot, if not most, of the Beatles stuff, for instance, that are in this book are in that book, but better written. Nonetheless, this book had stuff I hadn't known about before, and it confirms what Pete Townshend said in "Rolling Stone" when it was pointed out to him that he had been friendly with a lot of English aristocrats, "Aristocrats are supposed to be real sh**s. But I don't think I met even one who was a real sh**. Whereas, in the music business, I could introduce you to a THOUSAND sh**s! " This book is a good study of those types.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not for the faint of heart...for musicians, March 19, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: They Fought the Law : Rock Music Goes to Court (Hardcover)

If you have an interest in music, law, business or any combination, this is a fascinating book.

Anyone thinking of getting into the music biz MUST read this. All the pitfalls, dangers, stupid moves that one could encounter are told in harrowing style.

From the smallest fry to the biggest names, legal missteps are illustrated in a VERY readable style by an attorney. You won't believe these stories, stranger than fiction.

I couldn't put this down.

5.0 out of 5 stars Glad I Bought This For Class  Very Useful, October 29, 2003

By 

"msmusiceditor" (New York City) - See all my reviews

This review is from: They Fought the Law : Rock Music Goes to Court (Hardcover)

I bought this book for a course I'm taking about the music business and after reading it, I'm so glad I did. It's an easy read since it's broken into several chapters...each about a particular musician or group. The chapters tell the story of a legal battle or a deal gone terribly wrong. It illustrates the pitfalls that lay before artists when it comes to publicity, trademarks, estate planning, merchandising, copyright infringement, royalty claims, publishing, bankruptcy, and so much more. I particularly enjoyed the stories about Elvis Presley, Billy Joel, The Beatles, and Judas Priest. A terrific addition to your personal library.