There is no point in putting all the work into your online content, course, or event only to leave the door open to thieves who count on you not having your business in order. Protect your passion and profits before it’s too late.

Answer these four questions and see if your content and courses are protected from copycats:

1.HAVE YOU TOLD ATTENDEES NOT TO COPY OR SHARE YOUR CONTENT?

You are ultimately making your content to be seen and used, but not copied. And It is up to you to put people on notice about how they can and cannot use the worksheets, videos, pictures, and other downloadables you are using to provide your services/products online

A fair amount of copying and sharing happens when someone sees content that is useful and wants to share the wealth. But of course there are those down right unbelievable instances of people swiping your content and attempting to resell it thinking there will be no consequences.

This notice needs to be bold, in caps, and visible at multiple points of entry for your audience.

You need language that clearly tells people that by coming to your site they agree to abide by these rules or else you will enforce your legal rights (i.e. copyrights).

More than half the battle against thieves is setting up simple deference mechanisms like this. Letting thieves know clearly and unmistakably you will protect your intellectual property will slow a number of copycats in their tracks because they are LAZY which is why they are steal in the first place.

Show them you know your value, you know your intellectual property rights, and will protect it boldly and in print across your site in crystal clear language.

2. WHAT AND WHERE IS YOUR RETURN POLICY?

One of the newest tactics online thieves are using is to actually purchase your course or ALL of your courses and then record them, download all your materials, and then demand a refund before selling them at a cheaper price.

First make sure you have your terms of use in place warning against copying, THEN double check that you have a CLEARLY STATED return policy on your sales pages that has the correct language terms and conditions that are specific to your products/services. A link to the same policy should appear on any checkout page and also in any confirmation email that provides login information or content downloads.

Having a clear and visible return policy will help you in case someone FILES A DISPUTE with PayPal, Etsy, or whatever other platform you are using to demonstrate the customer was aware BEFORE and at the time of purchase what the refund policy was and eliminate any argument they were blindsided by your refusal to provide a refund.

But this won’t necessarily help you if they claim you falsely advertised results your products didn’t actually achieve?

3. DO YOU HAVE A DISCLAIMER FOR ANY TESTIMONIALS, ADVICE, OR ADVERTISED RESULTS?

A disclaimer is going to be your best friend in enforcing your refund policy. This is especially true if you used client testimonials when selling your products. You want to have clear language that states you cannot guarantee anything. Nothing in this world can be guaranteed!

Similar to your return policy and language regarding unauthorized copying you want to have your disclaimers visible when you utilize testimonials, share results of previous clients, or provide any kind of online coaching, consulting, or advise.

(See our legal notice here that clearly states information in this blog is not individualized legal advice)

4. ARE YOU PREPARED TO ACTUALLY ENFORCE AGAINST THIEVES AND COPYCATS?

So now you have all your policies up and in the right places. Are you prepared to actually enforce against copycats? Do you know how to submit a takedown notice?

Do you have a cease and desist template you can quickly fire off?

Most, importantly do you have your content registered with the copyright office?

I know the process can seem daunting but it is well worth it to have your ducks in a row when someone steals your stuff. Without a registered copyright you have no legal standing in court against thieves. Without a registered copyright the takedown process is much more difficult than if you are easily able to show legal ownership.

There is no point in putting all the work into your online content, course, or event only to leave the door open to thieves who count on you not having your business in order.

Protect your passion and profits before it’s too late CLICK HERE to schedule a free discovery call

The right to a fair trial is an unequivocal right within a democracy, one that is guaranteed in the United States constitution. Yet, across the country, people are being prosecuted based largely on the contents of their music as evidence of crimes. Artistic expression in the form of lyrics is being weaponized even when its relevance to a crime is inferential as opposed to explicit. Fortunately, new legislation in states like California and New York aim to address this issue.

Dr. Andrea Dennis has identified at least 500 cases of rap being used in criminal cases in the United States as of 2020. What’s more? This phenomenon applies only to rap – no other genre of music makes it into the courtroom. To put this into perspective, it would be as though Johnny Cash’s “Folsom Prison Blues” and “Delia’s Gone” were used against him as evidence that he is capable of committing a murder or has admited to one previously. Or if Edgar Allen Poe was sentenced for a murder based on his renowned poem, “the Tell-Tale Heart.” Similiarly, the use of rap as evidence should not be recognized in the courtroom either. 

The law prohibits using evidence in court that points to an individual’s character and their supposed inclination to act a certain way. However, rap lyrics and music videos are often used to circumvent this rule. Relying on prejudicial bias, prosecutors twist rappers’ artistic words into confessions or evidence of guilt and involvement in crime. Rap on trial purposefully feeds into a jury’s existing biases. 

Researchers have found that rap music is viewed as more threatening, more offensive, and less artistic than other genres with similarly violent themes. Even when presented with the same set of lyrics, people reacted considerably more negatively when told that the lyrics originated from a rap song as opposed to country or folk. Furthermore, the writers of violent “rap” lyrics are viewed as more likely to be violent and involved in criminal activity than writers of country or heavy metal songs.

The phenomenon of using rap lyrics in court dates back to early the early 90s. The practice became so commonplace that the American Prosecutor’s Research Institute, in a 2004 manual on gang cases, recommends prosecutors use lyrics to “invade and exploit the defendant’s true personality.” 

Rap on trial has now become routine, affecting young, entrepreneurial rappers and big name rappers alike. Drakeo the Ruler was charged for murder with no evidence except his rap songs and music videos. In fact, prosecutors had a recording of a 17-year-old confessing to the killing and another man admitting to firing additional shots. He was later acquitted for the murder charge because the case against him was built solely on his songs. Drakeo was additionally prosecuted for being a “gang leader,” the gang referring to his rap crew. 

There are many similar cases involving amateur rappers: in 2016, the courts upheld William Michael Jordan’s murder conviction after prosecutors played a rap video to jurors, even though there was no physical evidence against him; in 2020, the Maryland Appeals Court allowed Lawrence Montague’s rap lyrics to be entered into evidence, resulting in his murder conviction being upheld, despite scant evidence otherwise; and in 2021, Deonte O. Tomlinson’s murder conviction was upheld in Conneticut after the court allowed rap lyrics into court that were deemed “irrelevant” to the case. The list of examples goes on and on and on. 

A recent policy from California, titled the California Racial Justice Act (CRJA) of 2020,  seeks to eliminate this type of racial bias in courts. A defendant may invoke this policy if they feel that racial bias or prejudice played any role in their conviction. The CRJA would assist individuals who feel that they have been prosecuted with little evidence except for music and lyrics that biased the jury’s opinion. This would give many individuals an opportunity to be tried again but this time, fairly and equally.

Rap music is an art form with long standing traditions that are well-documented throughout its history. Allowing it be used as evidence is ultimately a violation of the first amendment, specifically the right to free speech. Moreover, the use of certain creative expression in courts (and not others) legitimizes using evidence steeped deep in stereotypes. 

The practice of rap on trial is just the tip of the iceberg. If rap lyrics, music videos, and the surrounding culture continue to be used in court, this sets a precedent for other forms of speech and expression to be allowed into evidence as well. Who’s to say where the line will be drawn? This fundamental violation of the right to free speech and the right to a fair trial must be addressed beyond state borders and the CRJA could readily serve as a template for federal policymakers.

-Buket Urgen, Legislative Advocacy Intern

Buket Urgen is a senior at the University of Georgia in the Music Business Certificate program, majoring in International Affairs. Urgen most recently served as chief of staff for Georgia congressman Spencer Frye assisting with policy and research. Buket is a Spring 2022 legislative advocacy intern at the Law Firm of Lawson McKinley exploring projects connected to local state and federal music related legislation.