alexylim

[alexylim]

Personal Statement - JD with concentration in entertainment law, copyrights and IP property

Taking stock of my career to date, I have concluded that pursuing a Juris Doctor program with focus on entertainment law, copyrights and intellectual property, is my next logical learning progression that will bring my career to the next level. While still in High School and completing my baccalaureate in Electronic Music Production and Sound Design, I have taken several academic and professional engagements that not only built up my competencies, earned a Grammy this year for best music video, and consistently placed me in the Dean’s list at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA, On the side, I have learned to appreciate the creative significance and business implications of Intellectual Property (IP) and Copyright laws in my profession that have rooted my passion to become a legal practitioner in this direction., .

Looking back, I could not pinpoint the exact moment in time when I rooted my interest in music or the technical demands of music production.  All I can say is that music runs in my veins. Coming from an educated family with my mom a Doctor of Pharmacy and my dad a notable entrepreneur, I remember that music was always part of my life as there was no quiet moment in the house. There was always music around me weather someone in the family was playing an instrument or just listening to the radio or stereo system. As a migrant family taking refuge from civil war in Hungary, my parents rose above the acculturation demands in the United States.  I grew up as a send generation migrant influenced by the western cultural relationships and learning a second language that contributed to my morals and values of human rights, freedom of speech, and equality. These values would root my interest to become a lawyer.in the entertainment industry,

My parents recognized my talents early and brought me to take piano lessons, but I was more fascinated towards percussion instruments.  I was enrolled in ballroom dancing, drumming and DJ classes during high school, which made me realize that music was my life. Competing in Latin-American ballroom dancing and DJ’ing became my serious hobbies. Along the way, I was introduced to the idea that music is not only about giving reign to my talents as a performer,  but also giving it a more purposive dimension in entertaining, making people happy, and producing the music for commercial, and business ends. But there was more to it from a legal perspective.

By the time I was 10, I took my first DJ class where I earned a DJ Mixing, Production and Composition certification from Scratch DJ Academy.  As I worked on my electronic music production skills, I begged my father to study under world-famous record producer Professor Frank Rodriguez “El-Medico”. I barely turned 12 and was still in 5th grade when my father took me to the SAE Institute to meet him. As we entered the advisor’s office, he just glanced at me, almost ignoring me and then extended his hand to my father saying “Hello Alexander, nice to meet you”. My father and I looked at each other with a smile, and introduced me with “This is my son Alexander”. The look on advisor’s face was priceless. After the initial shock, he asked how old I was and if I had interest in taking classes at the institute. After interviewing me, he said, “Welcome to our college”. This was one of my most rewarding moments in my career journey.

After turning 12, I enrolled for an online program at the world renowned Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA, making me one of the youngest students to pursue a college education.  While completing college, I have performed before large audiences worldwide at numerous festivals such as SXSW Austin, Miami Music Week, Exit Music Festival Europe, Groove Cruise Los Angeles, and SunFest West Palm Beach.  Given these successes, I was recognized as among the world’s top 10 DJ’s and landed as a guest DJ for Ellen DeGeneres.  I then worked closely with Vanilla Ice and was a guest DJ for the 3 seasons on his TV show, Vanilla Ice Project. I also collaborated with many major brands like The Gap, Susan Komen, Captain Morgan, Groove Cruise, and others.

As an artist, I had thought that giving reign to my musical talents was enough to entertain an audience, whether on the radio airplay, a concert stage, or an album in a home entertainment system.  That was clearly not enough in the real world. .Even a mere 20-second commercial jingle advertising a product or service was not so simple. Over the last 8 years, I have regularly released original music that grew my knowledge and competencies from novice to become a professional. Along the way, I have dealt with music publishers involving content protection, copyright and infringement issues, distribution and performance rights, and contracts, among others. My extensive work experience as an artist working for a record label has given me a firmer grasp into the real-world commercialization of talents, the business, and the laws meant to protect the artists, music labels, and independent producers.            

Learning about the various facets of the entertainment industry attracted me towards the various career possibilities. In particular, I was drawn to the process of agreements, copyrights, contracts, publishing, and distribution between talents and a record label like Universal Music, Sony Music, and Virgin Records. Having completed relevant college courses in music technology, I learned to apply my technical wizardry, business communication and finance, as well as trends and strategies that prepared me to think critically and integrate finance and business management with talent management. But the one area that intrigued me most was the legalities behind the music industry. I saw how talents and the business could easily go to waste if not protected by law. I saw how much more work needs to be done not only to protect the rights of artists, but also ensure that they earn equitably with music producers and distributors. This has become even more compelling with online access to musical content, opening  more opportunities for illegal music downloads that deprive artists and producers of their due income. I have become more determined to address these issues after my internship at the Remote Control Productions in Los Angeles last January. I was exposed to legal aspects involving copyrights and royalties and the need to have strong legal understanding of corporate entertainment law, a field that I am now determined to pursue as my career.

At this point in my education, I know I still have so much to learn to bring my career to where I can find the fulfillment I seek as a consummate musician with a solid grounding in the laws governing the entertainment industry. I am already 18 years old facing the challenge of blending my musical experience with Law and making a profound difference in the entertainment industry. With some due diligence on my postgraduate learning options, I have decided to put my career future at the hands of ______________________ [name of university] and become a corporate and entertainment lawyer.  Insert the sentence (s) here corresponding to the choice of university.  Its extensive curriculum dovetails perfectly with my interest to acquire the skills to succeed in a legal practice providing legal counsel and representation to artists and companies, building their confidence that they are in good hands in contract negotiations, business deals, copyrights and intellectual property compliance.

Ultimately, with a view to giving back to society what I have been fortunate to gain in building my career, I see myself as a legal luminary supporting the entertainment industry and fostering justice among artists, producers, and consumers. I am elated at the prospect of sharing my insights with students in the program while learning from them for a mutually enriching Juris Doctor experience. I hope to commence the program in time for fall enrollment this year.  

 University Choices

(1)  University of Florida

I am particularly impressed with its stated commitment to the highest standards of the legal profession through the advisement of legal scholarship to best serve the public in promoting justice.  (No need to farther expound on something the admissions committee members are well aware of. You would just insult their intelligence. )

(2)  UCLA

I am particularly impressed with its stated primary purpose as a public research university that creates preserves, distributes and applies knowledge for the betterment of our global society through teaching and scholarship in developing successive generations of leaders with skills and commitment to legal and social engagements. (No need to farther expound on something the admissions committee members are well aware of. You would just insult their intelligence. )

(3)  Loyola Marymount University

I am particularly impressed with its goals as a Catholic Institution under the Jesuit and Marymount traditions carrying out its mission to maintain academic excellence in the instruction of law and promote legal scholarship and research in the context of academic freedom. (No need to farther expound on something the admissions committee members are well aware of. You would just insult their intelligence. )

Pepperdine University

I am particularly impressed with its Christian values in providing high-quality legal education that emphasizes the highest principals in ethical conduct and professional responsibility enabling them to assume future positions in the legal field.  (No need to farther expound on something the admissions committee members are well aware of. You would just insult their intelligence. )

(4)  University Southern of California Gould

I am particularly impressed with its mission in enriching enrich human knowledge and the principles of justice through exceptional scholarship that enable graduates to become future legal eagles who can address injustices in our community. . (No need to farther expound on something the admissions committee members are well aware of. You would just insult their intelligence. )

Chapman University, LA

I am particularly impressed with its mission in transforming qualified students to become multidimensional thinkers in the legal profession and thrive in a challenging world. (No need to further expound on something the admissions committee members are well aware of from their website. You would just insult their intelligence. )

(5)  California Western

I am particularly impressed with its stated commitment in using the law to prevent and solve human and social issues by mounting high level of scholarship to develop ethical, competent, and compassionate lawyers in fostering equitable justice. (No need to further expound on something the admissions committee members are well aware of from their website. You would just insult their intelligence. )

(6)  Brooklyn Law School

I am particularly impressed with its commitment to contribute to the advancement of our understanding of law, legal institutions, and society through a community of outstanding legal scholars, professors, and graduates who are among the best and the brightest in the legal profession. (No need to further expound on something the admissions committee members are well aware of from their website. You would just insult their intelligence. )

(7)  Georgetown College

I am particularly impressed with the fact that it is the nation’s first Catholic institution of higher learning committed to the Jesuit traditions of an integrated education and  research in the liberal arts, humanities, languages, sciences, and social sciences, harnessing local and international resources to achieve its mission. (No need to further expound on something the admissions committee members are well aware of from their website. You would just insult their intelligence. )

(8)  Penn State  Law

I am particularly impressed with its mission to educate students in an inclusive campus, promoting the highest levels of scholarship that will transform them to become responsive practitioners addressing legal and social needs within the country’s legal profession and justice system. (No need to further expound on something the admissions committee members are well aware of from their website. You would just insult their intelligence. )

[alexylim]

Anderson Silva could well be the best MMA fighter in the world today

Fighters come and go in the eight weight divisions of the US-based Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) series, the world's largest mixed martial arts (MMA) event held annually in Las Vegas, Nevada since 1993. Of all the fighters across its weight divisions, only one holds the record for the most wins and the longest reign as world champion. This is Anderson Silva - the current UFC title holder in the middleweight division. The 37-year old Brazilian mixed martial artist made his debut at the UFC Fight Night 5 on June 28, 2006 and since then had won 12 consecutive fights and 10 title defenses. Various publications such as Sherdog, Yahoo! Sports and ESPN have ranked him as the #1 middleweight mixed martial artist in the world, pound for pound. His exploits earned him the reputation as the greatest mixed martial artist of all time. No less than UFC head honcho Dana White agrees.

Early career

Born in April 14, 1975 as a middle child of 4 in a poor family in Curtiba, Brazil, Anderson Silva has shown a natural flair for martial arts right from his humble beginnings as a Jiu-Jitsu trained 12 year old kid who subsequently trained in Tae Kwon Do and finally mastering Muay Thai by age 16. He got his black belt in Tae Kwon Do when he was 18, followed by a yellow rope in Capoeira while establishing himself as a professional boxer. In 1997, he made his professional debut in the Brazilian ring in he welterweight class. After suffering his first loss to Luiz Azeredo by decision, he went on to win 9 consecutive wins 6 of which were won by TKO or submission. In 2001, he started earning his world class reputation as the only man to end the 20-win reign of Hayato Sakurai by unanimous decision to win the Shooto Middleweight title in Japan.

The following year, Anderson Silva entered the Pride Fighting Championships with three initial wins before suffering a demotivating setback against Daiju Taksa. He left Pride with a decisive win against Jeremy Horn in 2004. Three months later saw his debut in the Cage Rage events in England with a win against noted striker Lee Murray. His return to Pride in December of that year saw another humbling loss to Rya Chonan that finally cost his participation in the Pride fights. Nevertheless, his determination to succeed showed in defending his Cage Rage title with successive wins against Matt Lindland., Mike Can Arsdale and Tony Fryklund.

Decisive Wins at the UFC

In June of 2006, after a disqualification loss to Yushin Okami in Rumble on the Rock in Hawaii for which he felt cheated, Anderson Silva made his debut at the UFC Ultimate Fight Night 5 where he ended the 5-win streak of Ultimate Fighter Chris Leben. The fight ended 49 seconds into the first round and showed Silva's excellent fighting form with an 85% striking accuracy. It was October 14th of that year that saw Silva earn his UFC Middleweight crown after a TKO win against UFC middleweight champion Rich Franklin in the first round. His first title defense win against Travis Lutter became a non-title bout after Lutter failed to make it to the 185lb weight limit. The rest as they say is history. Anderson Silva cemented his reputation winning 10 title defenses against Nate Marquardt and Ruck Franklin in 2007, Dan Henderson and Patrick Cote in2008, Thales Leites in 2009, Demian Maia and Chael Sonnen in 2010, Vitor Belfort and Yushin Okami in 2012, and again Chael Sonnen in 2012.

Being the greatest MMA fighter in the UFC events is matched by Silva's private life as a happy family man with three sons and two daughters whom he loves so much. He had earlier planned on retiring when he reached 35 in 2010 but his contract with UFC required him to get into 6 more fights before retiring. 

Fighting style of the greatest MMA of all time

With a high striking accuracy, powerful Muay Thai, counterstrike ability, concentration, and knockout power, Anderson Silva is considered to be the best MMA fighter whose main strength lies in technical precession, flawless transition and movement, and effective jabs. He has submitted famous grapplers that included Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Travis Lutter and Olympic wrestlers Chael Sonnen and Dan Henderson. Silva has made a profound and lasting legacy on various UFC records that includes: Most all-time knockdowns at 17, highest strike accuracy at 67.8%, all-time winning percentage at 100%, longest all-time winning streak at 16, most number of fight victories at 11, most number of title defenses at 10 and the longest reigning champ in terms of days at 2,315 as of 2012. He could still break some of these records before he retires. When he does, the world of MMA fighting will have to wait for another with the same determined zeal to win, and fighting prowess of an Anderson Silva to match his record.

[alexylim]

5. Footwear > Value: $103.4 million > Pct. of total seizure value: 8% The value of only five seized products in the country exceeded $100 million in 2012, and shoes marks the first of the five. The federal government seized more than $103 million worth of footwear in 2012 in nearly 1,900 seizures. While most [...]

The 10 Most Counterfeited Products in America

[alexylim]

In an era of technological innovations, many businesses are embracing the trend of online marketing as a tool to augment their business model. That is all well and good but there are many common misconceptions businesses hold about online marketing.

Apart from the understanding that...

[alexylim]

Looking for information on how to make a Facebook Page for your business?

Are you practically clueless on how to create a Facebook page to promote your business? Well if you are looking to promote your products or services through Facebook, a Facebook page is a must! It’s different...

[alexylim]

There was a recent study released and from this came about data pertaining to how it is only possible for the sophisticated search engines to reach the surface of the vast information reservoir of the Web for the Internet is becoming larger and larger. Maps are being presented by search engines including AltaVista, Yahoo, and Google dot com pertaining to the Web but according to a 41 page research paper from a South Dakota company responsible for developing a new Internet software it is 500 times larger.There are times when people find it hard to get the necessary information they…

[alexylim]

And they say they love to write…

Yes, people who launch blogs and submit to article directories love to write.  But not necessarily the people who hire them.  I am always amazed to see clients prod writers in their employ to do their best, otherwise, they cannot really to be writers.  When you love what you do, it’s easy to bring out your best. 

To a large extent, that’s true. But really now, writers love what they do, not because they love to write, but because they love the subject they write about.  Writers don’t love what they do just for the sake of writing. With internet marketing using hordes of writers to churn out thousands of SEO and reputation management articles, writing has been reduced from the lofty perch it used to occupy as literary and journalistic expressions of the learned and the impassioned. It is now just a cheap way to make  money, not for the exploited writers, but for their clients.

How can you love writing when your words are forced out to produce articles that make social misfits, crooks and politicians look good online?  Did I make the right “birds of the same feather” association? That’s called reputation management.

How can you love writing when you are forced to make sense out of keywords that don’t make sense and wrongly spelled you can’t do anything about?  Try make a sentence out of “cheap trainer weight loss.”  I’m not saying there are no creative ways to do it, but when you have to do it 5 times in a 500 word article and create 10 articles with it, you could end up pulling your hair on your 2nd article.

[alexylim]

Writing for SEO clients tickles the funny bone

Search optimizing a website means having the right content and more content.  Not just any content, but content peppered with ridiculously phrased keywords.  Now where do you see these contents?  They are posted in blogs, article directories, product review sites, and press release sites, to mention some, with those keywords linked to your website.  It’s those backlinks that increase your website’s page rank in Google and, consequently, presumably, your site gets a higher visibility.  That’s another term to mean your site gets to land on the first result page when searching for any of those keywords.

Never mind if that’s true or not, but I recall my first SEO writing job using four mentions of the keywords in the body  with one in the title, the  first sentence and another in the last sentence. I didn’t even known then that Google bothered with location-specific keywords.  It’s like being asked by my English teacher to make a sentence using “wedding car atlanta”,  “fitness total usa”, “slander defamation: or “nature enhancement male”.  I thought it was a joke, but the instructions were clear:  “use the phrases as is, wrong spelling, wrong grammar and all.” 

The rest is history.  Who would have thought I’d be making sentences using keywords that hardly made sense.  That’s not the worst part.  I was also asked to write about keywords with wrong spelling.  That’s because some idiot would type them in a search engine box and expect a result.  And that result had better show the client whose articles I was writing for.  But that’s what SEO writing is about.  No complaints, no regrets, just a few dollars to show for it.