70 Am. U. L. Rev. F. 1 (2020).
* Senior Staff Member, American University Law Review, Volume 70; J.D. Candidate, May 2021, American University Washington College of Law; B.A., Government (International Politics) and Italian Studies, 2018, Wesleyan University. Many thanks to my editor Erin Downey, my faculty advisor Heather Ridenour, and the entire Law Review editorial team for the insightful feedback in preparing this piece for publication. I would also like to thank Walker for the unwavering support, my friends for the countless laughs, and my family for their unconditional love that carried me through this process.
After Tupac Shakur “rose from the dead” in the form of a hologram at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in 2012, hologram concerts have only increased in popularity. This Comment examines hologram performances and how they interact with the exclusive rights of reproduction granted to copyright holders of sound recordings. After introducing copyright law more generally, this Comment discusses the trouble courts have with defining the “audiovisual” requirement for synchronization rights. Ultimately, this Comment argues that to prevent infringement claims, synchronization licenses should be necessary for performances including hologram technology.
If you make a movie ‘bout my life, make it right /
Please don’t make no holograms, don’t wanna do it twice /
You wanna use my likeness, please approve it through my wife /
And if you get the license then you better use it right . . .1
Chance the Rapper, Sun Come Down, on The Big Day (Self-released 2019).