New Jersey Business Law Blog

People in New Jersey who create artistic works understandably want to be able to protect their work. Copyrights are one form of intellectual property that may be used by artists, writers, musicians and others. However, owning the lyrics to a song, for example, does not mean that an artist will be able to own every form of their work. The music industry can be very complex and these complexities have been highlighted recently by Taylor Swift's public outcry at the sale of her work to someone she does not trust or respect. 

As reported by Time magazine, multiple musicians over the years have struggled to gain ownership of their body of work. These musicians include Prince and Paul McCartney for starters. When Taylor Swift was just 15 years old, she signed a contract with a record label that gave them the ownership rights to the original masters of her work. She remained with that label until just last year, leaving the label to own 11 years of work spanning six albums.

People in New Jersey know that medical billing and insurance can be very complex. Every health insurance company makes agreements with select health care facilities and providers regarding what services they will provide coverage for and how much money they will pay on behalf of the patient for a given service. These negotiations can be complex and can have direct impact on the patients themselves as well as the medical providers or facilities. 

According to a report in NorthJersey.com, roughly five years ago the insurance company Amerigroup New Jersey entered into a contract with a hospital that was then called Paramus hospital to provide coverage for specific nursing services and also for detox services. Paramus hospital, now renamed the Bergen New Bridge Medical Center, is said to have provided the appropriate nursing services and the detox services to patients and then submitted reimbursement billing claims to the insurance company.

A labor dispute is not good for anyone, neither workers nor employers. Therefore, it is better to avoid such disputes whenever possible. Nevertheless, a proposed law that New Jersey's State Assembly recently approved would charge all employers five cents per worker per year to create a special fund allowing workers in the private sector access to coverage in the event that a labor dispute keeps them out of work for a prolonged period of time. 

The fund would provide a safety net of sorts for workers who see health benefits for themselves and their families canceled due to a work stoppage resulting from a labor dispute. Workers so affected to could apply for funds to defray the cost of COBRA coverage. However, the law would impose some limitations. For example, if a strike preceded the work stoppage, employees would not be eligible for benefits.

Most of the time, employment in New Jersey is at-will. This means that you or the employee may terminate the relationship at any time for any reason. Generally, you do not create an employment contract for most employees. However, there is something called an implied contract that you could put in place without even realizing it.

According to The Business Journals, you may create an implied employment contract by accident because it does not need to be in writing or even formally created. Generally, it occurs when you make some type of guarantee or promise. For example, if you tell a person during the hiring process that he or she will get pay raises each year, then this is a potential contract. You are making a promise and you must keep it.