Steven Masur, Esq.

Steven Masur, Esq.

Steven Masur, Esq.

Senior Partner
Technology, Corporate, Intellectual Property, Entertainment
smasur@masurlaw.com

Steven Masur is a Senior Partner of MasurLaw. Steve has over 18 years of experience working with digital media and entertainment clients on their corporate and intellectual property transactions and day-to-day business issues. He helps with corporate finance, M&A, intellectual property, strategic transactions and structuring questions.

Steve is unique because of the direct strategic business experience he brings to bear on client matters.  Steve has helped clients make substantial returns in digital music, film, video games, mobile and wireless services, licensing, advertising, retail, manufacturing, publishing, media delivery, software and hardware. Where Steve brings the most value is in helping to work out complicated legal and business problems, mergers and other strategic opportunities in complicated competitive environments.

At MasurLaw, Steve has helped such clients as Shazam, Virgin Mobile, Liberty Media, Yamaha, Nielsen BuzzMetrics, and Bob Vila, among others.   Prior to MasurLaw, Steve was an attorney at Sabin, Bermant & Gould in New York practicing in the cable TV and corporate areas. He served such clients as Advance Publications, Conde Nast Publications, Newhouse Broadcasting Corp. and Eastern Microwave in their strategic transactions.

Steve graduated from Colby College in 1984, received his J.D. in 1993 from American University in Washington, DC and is a member of the New York and District of Columbia bar associations. He serves on a variety of industry associations and corporate boards and lectures regularly on entertainment technology law and corporate strategy issues.

Steve’s Boards:

  • IAEL (International Association of Entertainment Lawyers) – Executive Board, Editor of IAEL Book: Collective Licensing at the ISP Level (2010)
  • ITAC (New York’s Industrial and Technology Assistance Corporation) – Board of Directors
  • Institute of Play – Board Member
  • Transmission Institute – International Advisory Board
  • NYSBA Business Law Section – Executive Committee
  • Harvestworks – Board of Directors

Steve’s Organizations:

  • PGA NMC (Producers Guild of America, New Media Council)
  • IGDA (International Game Developers Association)
  • NYTM (NY Technology Meetup) – Community Committee, Law and Business Liaison
  • NARM (National Association of Recording Merchandisers) Digital Think Tank
  • MEF (Mobile Entertainment Forum), Americas – Former Board Member
  • NYSBA TechVenture Law Committee – Former Chair
  • NYSBA EASL (Entertainment, Arts and Sports Law Section)
  • NYCLA eMIPS (Entertainment, Media Intellectual Property and Sports Law Section) – Co-Founder and Former Chair
  • ABCNY Entertainment Law Committee

Steve’s Publications:

  • Steven Masur, Collective Rights Licensing For Internet Downloads and Streams: Would It Properly Compensate Rights Holders?, 15 J. Internet L. 3 (November 2011).
  • BOOK:  Steven Masur et al., Collective Licensing at the ISP Level (David Mazur dep. ed., 2010).
  • Steven Masur, At the ISP Level, TRANSMITNOW.COM, 2009.
  • Steven Masur, What’s the Point in New York’s LLC Publication Requirement? VOL. 13, NO. 1, NYSBA BUSINESS LAW JOURNAL (2009).
  • Steven Masur and David Mazur, Veoh: Increased Protection for Service Providers, Or a Trapdoor?, 15 No. 5 INTELL. PROP. STRATEGIST 1 (2009).
  • ANDROID IS WINDOWS, MASURLAW BLOG, http://www.masurlaw.com/1167/android-microsoft-phones/ (June 17, 2009).
  • NAILING THE BALANCE: Why We Need Strong Rights of Fair Use to Intellectual Property, MASURLAW BLOG, http://www.masurlaw.typepad.com (January 19, 2009, 3:21 PM EST).
  • Good Music, Conveniently Delivered; How music is broken and what to do about it, MASURLAW BLOG, http://www.masurlaw.typepad.com (January 7, 3:59 PM EST).
  • Ready, Handset, Go: The Rules of Mobile Marketing, BILLBOARD, July 19, 2008, at 8.
  • Steven Masur and John Maher, Mobile Phone Text Message Spam: Building A Vibrant Market For Mobile Advertising While Keeping Customers Happy, 7 Va. Sports & Ent. L.J. 41 (2007).
  • Open Letter from Steven Masur, Managing Director, MasurLaw, to the New York State Assembly Against The New York Safe Games Act of 2007 (June 21, 2007) (on file with author).
  • Playing to Win: Negotiating Tips for Mobile Game Development Agreements, 18 No. 2 NYSBA ENT., ARTS AND SPORTS L.J. 64 (2007).
  • Confidentiality in a High–Tech World, GP SOLO, July/August 2007, at 42.
  • A Good Deal More, MOBILE ENT., May 2007, at 37.
  • Playing to Win: Negotiating Tips for Mobile Game Development Agreements, 24 No. 3 ABA ENT. & SPORTS LAW. J. 3, (2006).
  • Steven Masur & Ursa Chitrakar, The History and Recurring Issues of Ringtones: Lessons for the Future of Mobile Content, 24-SPG ENT. & SPORTS LAW. 1 (2006).
  • Steven Masur & Ursa Chitrakar, The History and Recurring Issues of Ringtones: Lessons for the Future of Mobile Content, 5 VA. SPORTS & ENT. L.J. 149 (2006).
  • Steven Masur and Bruce Strzelczyk, Funding Options for Start–Ups in Today’s Tough Economy, 8 No. 1 NYSBA NY BUS. L.J. 18 (2004).
  • “Legal Aspects of the Music Industry,” Berklee College of Music (2004) online course co-written with Don Gordor, Esq., Dean of the Berklee School of Music, currently taught by Lauren Davis, Esq.
  • “Protecting the New Tech Start-Up: A Complete Guide to Corporate Formation, Intellectual Property and Contracts.” (2003) CLE for the National Academy of Continuing Legal Education.
  • Michelle Almeida, Ned Glenn and Steven Masur, Recent Case May Open The Door to Media Mega-Giants, 6 No. 2 NYSBA NY BUS. L.J. 52 (2002).
  • Cyber Symposium-Legal Issues of Broadcasting on the Internet: Licensing Issues On the Internet, 14 TOURO L.R. 7 (1997).
  • Collective Rights Licensing for Internet Downloads and Streams: Would It Properly Compensate Rights Holders?, 18 Vill. Sports & Ent. L.J. 39, 3-15 (2011)
  • Steven Masur, What Really Makes Entrepreneurs? (October 18, 2011) http://www.masurlaw.com/5057/entrepreneurs/.
  • Steven Masur, The Smartest Thing Bloomberg Said (October 17, 2011) http://www.masurlaw.com/5054/the-smartest-thing-bloomberg-said/.
  • Steven Masur, Building Traction! Focus on Brands and Celebrities (October 6, 2011) http://www.masurlaw.com/4957/digital-media-companies/.
  • Steven Masur, Traction vs. Financing (October 4, 2011) http://www.masurlaw.com/4955/traction-vs-financing/.
  • Steven Masur, Can the State Help Build Great Entrepreneurs? (October 3, 2011) http://www.masurlaw.com/4951/states-and-entrepreneur/.
  • Steven Masur, Reflects on Rethink Music 2011 (May 11, 2011) http://www.masurlaw.com/4159/rethink-music-2011-2/.
  • Steven Masur, The Truth Behind Deferred Legal Fees (August 25, 2011) http://www.masurlaw.com/3699/why-deferred-legal-fees-are-bad/.
  • Steven Masur, So What’s Happening in Mobile Content? Powerful Devices and Fast Data Networks Have Changed the Game (March 17, 2010) http://www.masurlaw.com/1151/mobile-content/.
  • Interview by Steve Gordon with Steven Masur, Interview on What’s Happening with Music Services Today (October 2010) http://www.masurlaw.com/3823/music-services/.

Steve’s Activities:

  • USSA (United States Ski and Snowboard Association)
  • FIS (Federation Internationale de Ski)
  • Manhattan Sailing Club – Skipper (J24 and J105 classes)
  • Ski Club Hochgebirge
  • Surfrider Foundation
  • Surfing, Windsurfing and Kiteboarding
  • Drums, Art, Photography