Goodbye Copyright? The Rise of Trademark and Rights of Publicity in the Hip-Hop Music Industry

Authors

Kevin J. Greene, Southwestern Law School

Abstract

"Hip-hop music dominates popular culture and fuels the global entertainment industry, from music to dance, film, advertising, television, social media, and the internet.8 Hip-hop music, also known as rap, is an art form created by African American artists, but largely controlled through distribution and intellectual property ('IP') transfers by majority white-led corporations.9 From its inception, hip-hop presented a challenge to prevailing theories and doctrines of intellectual property, especially copyright law. Today, the gauntlet of rules regarding who is an IP owner, what is and is not protected, and the law’s bias toward the sophisticated continues to burden hip-hop artists."

Recommended Citation

Kevin J. Greene, Goodbye Copyright? The Rise of Trademark and Rights of Publicity in the Hip-Hop Music Industry, 27 Chap. L. Rev. 335 (2024).
Available at: https://digitalcommons.chapman.edu/chapman-law-review/vol27/iss2/3