Assemblymember Chris Holden’s Talent Scam Prevention Bill, AB 2068, passed the Senate Floor with a vote of 38-0. AB 2068 strengthens the Talent Scam Prevention Act by expanding the list of communication forms that can be regulated such as online and computer applications. The bill now awaits Governor Jerry Brown’s signature.
“With the unprecedented popularity of reality television and social media sites such as YouTube, Instagram, Tumblr, and others, the quest for instant stardom has become prevalent among all ages, especially teens and young adults,” said Holden. “Unfortunately, this creates a ripe situation for illegitimate talent agencies to scam young, aspiring artists.”
There are nearly 500 talent agencies registered within Los Angeles County ranging from large powerhouses to smaller companies. Although most registered talent agencies are legitimate, it is often the smaller, unlicensed talent agencies that charge upfront fees or refuse to remove content at the request of a client.
The Talent Scam Prevention Act outlawed such practices; however, the law passed in 2009 and did not regulate newer forms of technology. This bill updates the talent service laws to accommodate new technologies, such as mobile apps and online services that are not on the internet as websites. The bill applies the same 10-day deadline that currently applies to the removal of website content and photos to the removal of content and photos from mobile apps and online services.
