Gordon Firemark: The Podcast Lawyer

Gordon Firemark is the podcast lawyer. I first had a chance to meet him at Podcast Movement in the late 10's. In 2022 I might have had a few cocktails when I asked him about hoe to manoeuvre cross-broder conflicts between podcasters. In this episode I ask the rest of the questions I had.

We discuss the importance of clear agreements between co-hosts and why you need a guest release forms. We then tackle the complexities of using music in podcasts due to copyright laws. Gordon explains the differences between copyright, trademark, and patent law, and how to protect podcast brand names and segments through trademark registration. But wait! There's more! There's sponsorship agreements, the importance of proper disclosure, and the challenges posed by international regulations, particularly for Canadian podcasters. Gordon also shares a few real-life anecdotes that illustrate the potential pitfalls of not having written agreements or proper permissions, such as costly legal disputes and misunderstandings with sponsors. (This one is jaw dropping)

Practical advice: Get everything in writing, understand your rights, and always prioritize clear communication to avoid legal entanglements in podcasting.

We spoke about having a guest release form to ensure that podcasters don't encounter any misunderstandings between them and their guests. You can access Gordon's free release form here.

You can get all the details about where Gordon will be next on his website.

See Gordon at Vidfest in Atlanta - August 21

See Gordon at Podcast Movement in Dallas - August 22-24

Gordon will be doing a live interactive game-show TwoTruths and a Lie: Podcasting Legal & Business Myths Busted.

and a presentation called Your Podcast Legal Toolkit: Copyrights, Trademarks, and Contracts Made Simple.

The listener survey can be found here. Complete it and I'll share with you, my Top 10 Podcast Hacks for 2025. 

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