A Double Shot Heard ‘Round the World
On October 19th, the United States Supreme Court affirmed the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals’ decision concerning the termination rights provisions of the U.S. Copyright Act, but in a most unusual manner. With four Justices taking no part in the proceedings, the Court lacked the quorum necessary to consider BMG Rights Management LLC’s petition for […]
Turning Tales into Terms: the Importance of a Collaboration Agreement in Book Projects
I got a call a while back from someone who told me he had a great idea for a book. He’d previously been a detective in New York and had seen and lived a lot of experiences surrounding criminal enforcement proceedings involving various types of bad behavior and injustice inflicted upon innocent people. He said […]
Cannabis Reform in Thailand 2024: Same Same, but Different
Originally published on 24 November 2024. This article discussed Thailand’s cannabis policy developments at that time. About a year ago I posted an article discussing the burgeoning cannabis scene in Thailand. It seemed to me then that the nascent juggernaut weed economy was unlikely to sustain much more continued growth, and I queried whether we’d […]
Death, Taxes, and Overseas Remittances
Originally published on 23 October 2024. This article discussed the tax-policy developments and debate at that time. I reached out to an Australian friend here in Bangkok a while ago to suggest that we catch up over a beer. “Too late, mate” came the response. “I was up to 160 days so I split to […]
Mum’s the Word: Non-Disclosure Agreements
The overall purposes of an NDA are to protect confidential information, intellectual property rights, customer communications, and temper expectations. NDAs send a message, and they create a legal mechanism to protect ideas and know-how from being ripped off
Did You Notice? Copyright Attributions for Creators
I got a frantic call awhile back from a new client who told me she was facing a “copyright deadline” and was “running out of time” and didn’t think there was anything she could do about it. When I pressed her on what ‘it’ was she said “you know, everything…the copyright, I mean. I thought […]
Have We Got A Deal? Essential Elements For Any Contract
What’s A Contract? A contract is simply an enforceable agreement, meaning it represents a promise or a set of promises for which the law provides remedies if breached, or which the law can compel to be honored as a recognized obligation. That’s all it is; it’s what every contract boils down to, and it’s what […]
Thou Shalt Not: Restrictive Covenants And Their Enforceability
Restrictive covenants are contractual agreements that serve to prevent individuals from doing or saying certain things by virtue of their relationship with another party. They come up primarily (but not solely) in the context of employment or services agreements and govern behavior both during and after the termination of such agreements. Restrictive agreements are commonplace […]
Thailand’s Privilege Visa Program: A Sound Investment, Or Just Another Rip-off?
Originally published on 17 October 2023. This article discussed the visa program and its terms at that time. Expatriates looking to relocate to Thailand have a number of immigration options available to them depending upon their intentions, their resources, and their tolerance for risk. If you’ve been offered employment here, or you’re interested in starting […]
Writers’ Rights And Responsibilities
If you’ve written a manuscript that’s gotten the attention of a publisher and you’ve been presented with a book publishing agreement, congratulations! You’ve accomplished something many writers don’t, and chances are you’re already represented by a literary agent, or maybe a lawyer, who has already explained all of this to you. But if it’s still […]