Eric German has spent a lifetime learning the business of music and entertainment. Eric spent his teenage years playing in rock bands, working in music retail, radio, and recording studios, and managing artists. Post-college, Eric spent two years producing a major outdoor concert series, handling everything from negotiating contracts to developing marketing plans to selling tickets. Eric first realized the game-changing impact of the Internet to transform entertainment in the early 1990s, becoming enamored with the capacity of technology to empower a geographically-diverse fan base. Upon entering law school, Eric became the research assistant for a leading copyright scholar, quickly becoming an early advocate of the ability of technology to transform the entertainment industry to a digital business. After graduating law school in 1997, and spending a year as a Law Clerk on the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, Eric charged headfirst into the digital copyright wars, working for the major record companies on seminal cases such as A&M Records v. Napster, and MGM v. Grokster.

By the mid-00’s, Eric was focused on two core areas: promotion of the cause of independent record labels in the digital marketplace and beyond; and the direct representation of talent, regularly advising both categories of clients in creative and business matters, and providing both transactional and dispute-resolution centered legal work.  Today, Eric is a well-known connector in the music space, advocating for long-time clients, key industry tastemakers, and the latest developing artists with equal vigor.  Perhaps most important, German has an uncanny ability to speak “artist,” communicating with and relating to the needs of high-level creative talent.  Today, be it behind the desk, backstage at a concert, or in the classroom teaching entertainment law class to the next generation of industry professionals, Eric remains committed to the business of music and entertainment.

Legal Expertise

Eric counsels clients on entertainment, copyright, and trademark transactions, negotiations, and litigation, primarily in the areas of music, television, film, fashion and apparel, video games, and computer software.

Representative Matters

• Day-to-day representation and counseling of various recording artists, songwriters, record labels, music publishing companies, video game publishers, and fashion and apparel brands.
• Successfully defended award-winning writer, producer, and television network in federal court against claims of copyright infringement concerning popular television series.
• Successfully represented Take2 Interactive and Rockstar Games in a trademark infringement lawsuit before U.S. District Court and Court of Appeals alleging the company's game “Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas” infringes upon the marks of a Los Angeles business establishment.
• Successfully represented the recording industry in its copyright infringement lawsuits against KaZaA, Grokster, and Napster P2P file-sharing services.
• Successfully represented radio station defendant before the California Court of Appeal in case concerning station’s alleged failure to investigate the accuracy of its advertisers' claims.
• Successfully represented major record companies in litigation against owners and operators of flea markets/swap meets in California, Texas, and New Jersey where vendors repeatedly sold infringing CDs.
• Successfully obtained summary judgment on behalf of the motion picture industry in its suit against the manufacturer of DVD-copying software for violations of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.
• Successfully defended major beauty products manufacturer at jury trial on trademark and unfair competition suit.
• Successfully obtained permanent injunction on behalf of major consumer products company in false advertising matter.

Honors & Awards

• "Top Music Lawyers," Billboard (2022-2024)
• Recognized by Best Lawyers in America© in the fields of:
  • Copyright Law (2023-2024)
• "Top 5% of lawyers in Southern California," Southern California Super Lawyers (2005, 2010, 2012-2014)

Professional, Business and civic Affiliations

• Member, Grammy Museum Foundation Development Committee (2022-Present)
• Adjunct Professor, “Law for Music and Entertainment,” S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and The Bandier Program at Syracuse University - L.A. (2009 - Present)

Other Career Experience

• Proskauer Rose LLP, 1998-2002
• Served as law clerk to the Hon. Thomas G. Nelson, U.S. Court of Appeals, 9th Circuit, 1997-1998

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