OSLA ARTS & LAWS

OSLA ARTS & LAW HOME PAGE

YOUR TALENT IS YOUR ART.

YOUR ART IS YOUR BUSINESS.

YOU KNOW YOUR ART.

NOW LEARN YOUR BUSINESS.

AND GET IT RIGHT THE FIRST TIME.

Welcome to the website of OCEAN STATE LAWYERS FOR THE ARTS (OSLA), which was founded in 1984 as the Rhode Island affiliate of a nationwide network of non-profit public service organizations dedicated to providing legal assistance to visual artists, actors, performers, theatre companies, museums, dance troupes, artists' groups and any other artists or arts organizations in need of help regarding contracts, copyrights, trademarks, tax-exempt status, collection of accounts and any other arts-related problems.

Through this website, FREE legal information shall be made available to artists of all disciplines in order to help them to understand and protect their rights before problems arise. The articles will cover legal issues of concern to all artists and shall be published in conjunction with the office of David M. Spatt, Esq., a Rhode Island and New York Arts/Entertainment attorney since 1981, an Assistant Professor of Legal Studies at Johnson & Wales University and adjunct professor at Roger Williams Univ. School of Law (Sports & Entertainment Law), and co-author of THE ARTIST'S FRIENDLY LEGAL GUIDE . All articles may be freely downloaded and distributed as long as the applicable copyright notice is included in the downloaded copy.

OSLA welcomes contributed material that relates to this sites educational purpose, from attorneys, artists and others for publication on this website, but no "teasers" or advertising for a particular business shall be accepted or published. For more information, call (401)789-5686 or write OCEAN STATE LAWYERS FOR THE ARTS, P.O. Box 19, Saunderstown, Rhode Island 02874-0019 or e-mail:

dspatt@artslaw.org Thank you for your e-mail comments and questions.

FREE EXHIBITION SPACE FOR VISUAL ARTISTS . Due to the nature of some of the inquiries, it seems like a good idea to post some of the visual artwork from those who visit this site. From now on, the index will be include a link to a new gallery page for those who are interested. This will allow OSLA visitors to enjoy the works of others and give some added exposure to the exhibiting artists.

If anyone is interested, feel free to e-mail some of your work for posting or state where the file may be downloaded. All works submitted must be original and owned by the submitting artist and please try to keep the size of the files relatively small, as the space available is limited. After all, the main purpose of this site is to inform arttists and entertainers. Please also tell me if you would like your name and/or copyright notice included with your works, so that any interested parties will know whom to contact.

WARNING: Any links to this site should not be to individual articles or the index, but only to this home page.

THIS WEBSITE CANNOT BE USED AS A SUBSTITUTE FOR SOUND LEGAL ADVICE FROM A COMPETENT ARTS OR ENTERTAINMENT ATTORNEY. In the event of a legal problem or question, specific legal consultation is advised. This website is intended only as a means of educating arts organizations and artists of all disciplines as to their potential legal rights and liabilities. The information provided is made available with the understanding that neither OSLA nor the office of David M. Spatt is engaging in the rendering of legal counsel.

BUSINESS VOLUNTEERS FOR THE ARTS/Rhode Island 2000 VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR AWARD
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