It’s important that the business arrangement between a manager and their client (artist, musician, songwriter, producer, engineer, etc) be put into writing and signed by both parties in the form of an artist management contract or music manager agreement.
Even though disasters cannot always be avoided, obligations can be made much clearer and responsibilities more easily understood with the presence of a written artist management agreement. Before you get an attorney to draft a contract for you, however, you should first take stock of what you are prepared to do with and for an artist and what you expect out of the relationship.
Sample Management Contract With Force Majeure In Oakland
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State:
Multi-State
County:
Oakland
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US-0021BG
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Word;
Rich Text
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FAQ
The definition of "force majeure" generally includes "risks beyond the reasonable control of a party, incurred not as a product or result of the negligence of the afflicted party, which have a materially adverse effect on the ability of such party to perform its obligations".
What is an example of a force majeure event? Typical force majeure events include natural disasters (fire, storms, floods), governmental or societal actions (war, invasion, civil unrest, labor strikes), and infrastructure failures (transportation, energy).
For events to constitute the use of force majeure, they must be unforeseeable, external to contract parties, and unavoidable. Force majeure means “greater force” and is related to an act of God, an event for which no party can be held accountable.
Termination — In cases where the force majeure event is severe and long-lasting, the contract may allow for its termination, meaning the parties are released from their obligations entirely because the event has made it impossible or impractical to continue with the contract.
These may include earthquakes, floods, fire, plague, Acts of God (as defined in the contract or in applicable law) and other natural disasters. These are events which are not within the control of the Host Government.
Neither Party shall be liable for failure of or delay in performing obligations set forth in this Agreement, and neither shall be deemed in breach of its obligations, if such failure or delay is due to natural disasters or any causes beyond the reasonable control of either Party.
Examples of events that might trigger a force majeure clause into effect include a declaration of war, a disease epidemic, or a hurricane, earthquake, or other natural disaster events that fall under the legal term, “act of God.”
The Force Majeure clause should clearly identify the obligations that will be excused in the event of a Force Majeure event. The clause may specify that all obligations will be excused or only certain obligations, depending on the nature of the contract and the parties' preferences.
Most clauses will provide that if the impact of the force majeure event is not lifted within a certain time, for example 6 or 12 months, then the parties will have the right to terminate the contract. The parties should also consider the knock-on effect on other provisions under the contract.
In California, a party seeking to invoke a force majeure clause has to show “that in spite of skill, diligence and good faith on his part, performance became impossible or unreasonably expensive.” Oosten v. Hay Haulers Dairy Employees & Helpers Union, 45 Cal.