Gregory Bernstein has worked in the entertainment business for more than 35 years from both the business and creative sides - as an entertainment attorney, studio business affairs executive, WGA union senior executive, and award-winning screenwriter. After graduating from the UCLA Law School in 1980, Bernstein practiced entertainment law for two years at O'Melveny & Myers, an international law firm. He then worked for six years as vice-president of business affairs at Columbia and Tri-Star Pictures, negotiating more than a hundred acting, directing, producing, writing, rights, financing and distribution agreements. Following his studio executive years, Bernstein enrolled in the film directing program at the American Film Institute where he earned an MFA degree. Since leaving AFI, he has received writing credit on four films: Official Secrets, which premiered at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival; the film stars Keira Knightley, Ralph Fiennes, Matt Smith, Matthew Goode, and Rhys Ifans; The Conspirator, which was released in 2011 and directed by Robert Redford, and for which Bernstein was awarded the Humanitas Prize; Trial and Error, which starred Charlize Theron, Jeff Daniels, and Michael Richards; and Call Me Claus, which starred Whoopi Goldberg. He has also sold scripts to Disney and DreamWorks. In 2003, Bernstein took a sabbatical from writing and entered the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University where he received a master's degree in public administration. Upon returning to Los Angeles, he served as the assistant executive director of the Writers Guild of America, West from 2004 until 2006. Since 2012, along with screenwriting, he has also taught film at Arizona State University.

Introduction

Section 1 - Law and Entertainment

Chapter 1: Copyright Law

Chapter 2: Music Copyright

Chapter 3: Copyright and Piracy

Chapter 4: International Copyright

Chapter 5: First Amendment Law

Section 2 - Entertainment Companies: Growth and Power

Chapter 6: The FCC and Government Regulation of the Media

Chapter 7: Media Growth and Ownership

Chapter 8: Unions, Agents and Managers

Section 3 - What Studios Do

Chapter 9: Development

Chapter 10: Distribution

Section 4 - Money and Contracts

Chapter 11: Gross and Net Proceeds

Chapter 12: Entertainment Contracts

Chapter 13: Independent Film Development, Financing, Contracts and Distribution

Section 5 - Voices

Chapter 14: Making It Into the Business

Index