Bryan Tuk Elected to the Board of Directors of Music with a Mission

Wilmington, DE – [July 18, 2025] – Music with a Mission (MWAM), a Delaware-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to celebrating community through music, is thrilled to announce the election of J. Bryan Tuk, Esquire to its Board of Directors. With a mission to harness the power of music to support communities in need, MWAM welcomes Mr. Tuk’s extensive legal expertise and deep commitment to the arts. His appointment strengthens the organization’s leadership as it continues to fund creative composition and public performances by acclaimed composer Wilson Gault Somers, fostering community engagement through impactful musical initiatives. Learn more about Music with a Mission at http://musicwithamission.org.

Mr. Tuk, founder of Tuk Law Offices (http://tuklaw.com/about), brings over 25 years of legal experience, specializing in business and banking law, nonprofit organizations, and arts and entertainment law. A voting member of The Recording Academy, known for the GRAMMY Awards, Mr. Tuk has advised a diverse range of clients, including recording artists, record labels, and music industry entrepreneurs. His unique perspective as both a legal professional and a professional musician and educator of over 30 years will be invaluable to MWAM’s mission of using music to benefit local and national communities. Mr. Tuk’s prior board roles with organizations such as the Allentown Symphony, Pittsburgh Youth Chorus, and ArtsQuest further underscore his dedication to advancing the arts and nonprofit sectors.

“We are elated to have Bryan join our Board of Directors,” said Julian H. Booker, Interim Board President of Music with a Mission. “His legal acumen, passion for music, and proven leadership in the nonprofit and arts communities align perfectly with our vision of creating meaningful impact through music. We look forward to his contributions as we continue to grow and serve communities in need.” Mr. Tuk’s election to the board marks a significant step forward for MWAM as it expands its reach and influence, ensuring music remains a transformative force for good.

About Music with a Mission

Music with a Mission is a Delaware-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit committed to using music to benefit communities in need. Through partnerships with acclaimed composer Wilson Gault Somers, MWAM funds creative compositions and public performances that inspire and uplift. The organization relies on diverse revenue streams, including fundraising efforts and performance fees, to support its mission. For more details, visit http://musicwithamission.org.

About Tuk Law Offices

Tuk Law Offices provides legal services to entrepreneurs, startups, nonprofit organizations, and clients in the arts and entertainment industry. Led by J. Bryan Tuk, Esquire, the firm specializes in business and banking law, copyright law, and nonprofit governance, delivering cost-efficient and client-focused solutions. Learn more at http://tuklaw.com/about.

Federal Court Issues Mixed Decision in Copyright Suit Brought by Authors

No doubt by this point you have seen the headlines about the U.S. District Court’s June 23rd order (the “June 23rd Order”) in the matter of Bartz v. Anthropic PBC (US Dist. Ct. N.D. California Docket 3:24-cv-05417-WHA). In the abstract, the fact pattern is a familiar one by now for those who are following the copyright related litigation initiated by authors against the artificial intelligence developers: the developer copies legally protected works at scale without any license or payment to the rights holders, and uses those protected works to train software.

CLICK HERE to go to Tuk’s Copyright Law Report.

The New Copyright Office Guidance on AI: a Primer

When I started the Tuk’s Copyright Law Report five years ago, I never thought that artificial intelligence would take up such a large part of the legal landscape. Yet, here we are.

The stakes are high. If works created solely by AI can be protected under US Copyright Law, human artistry will be obliterated.

There is no other way to view it. When some person with no artistic training or ability can use AI to write (and market) 1,000 novels in a relatively short time, it becomes that much more difficult for a real writer to get their book noticed in the marketplace. In theory, AI could generate a near infinite amount of output, essentially eclipsing human creativity whole.

In January, the Copyright Office (“USCO”) issued the second part of a three part report on US Copyright Law and artificial intelligence. USCO's report on "Copyright and Artificial Intelligence: Part 2 - Copyrightability" addresses the legal and policy issues related to the copyrightability of works created using generative AI. ​ The Report is based on extensive public input and research, and the USCO attempts to provides an analysis of the degree of human contribution necessary for AI-generated outputs to qualify for copyright protection under US law. ​

GO OVER TO THE TCLR TO READ MORE.

Supreme Court Rules in Favor of Rock and Roll Photographer Against Warhol Foundation

Here’s the first question: Do you subscribe to Tuk’s Copyright Law Report? You should! If your job touches any intellectual property issues in the worlds of music, photography, film, literary properties, you are missing out.

Now that THAT is out of the way, go to the TCLR for a free analysis of the Court’s ruling. Or, you can read the entire ruling yourself below.

Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) Deals Happening for High School Student Athletes

In what appears to be a first for high school football, ESPN reports that Jaden Rashada, one of the top quarterback prospects in the Class of 2023 (ranked #26 in the ESPN 300) has signed a deal by which he will be paid to promote a recruiting smartphone app.  

This is a significant development in the wake of the NCAA’s policy change now allowing student athletes to enter into NIL deals, which was strictly prohibited prior to 2021.  That door is wide open at the collegiate level, and now apparently at the high school level to some degree. 

It is important to note however, that in some states - including Pennsylvania - the governing body that oversees high school sports prohibit these kinds of deals.  For example, the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association’s bylaws require student athletes to maintain amateur status in order to be eligible to participate in PIAA governed sporting events (which is essentially every organized high school sport).  

Article II of the PIAA Bylaws provides: 

Section 1. Amateur Status Required.

To be eligible to participate in an Inter-School Practice, Scrimmage, and/or Contest, a student must be an amateur in the sport involved. An amateur student is one who engages in athletic competition solely for the educational, physical, mental, social, and pleasure benefits derived thereof and does not receive monetary or similar or equivalent compensation or remuneration for such participation.

A student athlete loses his or her amateur status - and is then ineligible to participate if: 

C. The student plays on, or enters into a contract to play on, a professional team or as an individual professional athlete in that sport; or enters into a contract to represent a corporation, organization or similar entity in competition or by appearing in public on behalf of such entity.  

Bylaws, at Art. II, §2 (emphasis added). 

Thus, while NIL deals for high school athletes are beginning to appear across the country, parents of high school student athletes in Pennsylvania should be aware of the current PIAA rules.  Those rules may change in the future of course, and this will be an issue to watch develop in PA. 

Of course, NIL deals are permitted by Pennsylvania law for collegiate student athletes.

For more information, please contact Tuk Law Offices.