Copyright Society of the South

Legislative Updates with Bart Herbison - February 18, 2020
2020-02-18 11:30 - 13:00 (America/Chicago) | ASCAP, 2 Music Square West, Nashville, TN, 37203, United States
GUEST SPEAKER: Bart Herbison, Executive Director of the Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI)

Bart Herbison is Executive Director of the Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI), the world’s largest not-for-profit songwriters trade organization dedicated to the songwriting profession. Established in 1967, the organization’s membership of nearly 5,000 spans the United States and many other countries. With more than 100 chapters, NSAI is dedicated to protecting songwriter’s rights and serves aspiring and professional songwriters in all genres of music. NSAI also owns The Bluebird Cafe in Nashville, Tennessee.
Under Herbison’s leadership NSAI gained prominence in the national legislative arena. Accomplishments include: · Passage of the landmark “Songwriters Capital Gains Tax Equity Act” in 2006 · Creating the first-ever Group Copyright Infringement Insurance for songwriters and music publishers. · Purchase of the “Music Mill” studios as NSAI headquarters in 2005 · Acquisition of the world-famous “Bluebird Café” in 2008.
A Paris, Tenn., native, Herbison worked as a reporter and spent 14 years in radio before joining the staff of former Tennessee Governor Ned McWherter in 1987. Herbison joined the staff of U.S. Rep. Bob Clement (D-Nashville) in 1988. During the next 10 years, Herbison served as the Tennessee Congressman’s Press Secretary, Campaign Manager and Chief Administrative Officer before leaving Capitol Hill for Music Row in 1997.
His first movie role is in “Wheeler” starring Stephen Dorff in the title role, where Herbison portrays himself. He was also featured in the documentary “The Last Songwriter,” released in 2017.
****This is a private event for Society members and their guests. If you are interested in becoming a member of the Copyright Society of the South, contact us today!***

***POSTPONED***Artificial Intelligence (AI) - Invasion of the Robot Creators: Underlying rights issues in the use of artificial intelligence to create new works
2020-03-17 11:30 - 13:00 | CMA Event Center, 35 Music Square East, Nashville, TN, 37203, United States
Due to circumstances beyond our control, we regret we must postpone our March 17th luncheon meeting. We will be in touch when we are able to reschedule. Thank you.
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GUEST PANEL: John Beiter, Marghie Evans, Michael Harrington and Randy Wachtler

John Beiter
John Beiter has practiced entertainment law for over 25 years. His clients have included recording artists, record companies, songwriters, music publishers, filmmakers, and authors regarding talent agreements, entity formation, copyright acquisition and a wide variety of other transactional matters. His institutional clients include the Americana Music Association, the International Entertainment Buyers Association, and SESAC. He has been listed in Best Lawyers in America in Entertainment-Music since 2012 and his new firm is listed in the 2020 Best Law Firms in Entertainment-Music, Tier 1 Nashville. He is a member of the Recording Academy, Country Music Association, and American and Tennessee Bar Association entertainment law sections, and is a former Leadership Music board member and former Chairman of the Nashville Bar Association Entertainment Law Committee. Beiter helped draft the Songwriters Capital Gains Tax Equity Act and has spoken on several roundtables presented by the Copyright Office and the USPTO. Previously, he wrote songs for a Nashville music publisher.
Marghie Evans
An expert in the rights clearance field, especially for audio-visual and new media and experienced music publishing executive, Marghie Evans is partner at Do Write Music in Nashville. She sits on the boards of Leadership Music and the Copyright Society of the South and consults with Fair Trade Music International.
Do Write Music have been in business for 12 years, and represents various songwriters including Janis Ian, Delbert McClinton, Robin Zander (Cheap Trick), Victoria Shaw, Bobby Pinson, Old Crow Medicine Show and Matthan Minster (Cage the Elephant). Their catalogue includes hits for Toby Keith, Trace Adkins, Blake Shelton, and Christina Aguilera. Do Write Music was winner of 2018 Music Row song of the year “Most People Are Good”, recorded by Luke Bryant on behalf of their client, songwriter Ed Hill.
Prior to setting up Do Write Music, Marghie was Head of Rights & Clearances for PolyGram Filmed Entertainment and Universal Pictures in London, England. That’s where she learned the music publishing business – licensing in music for film and TV. She also acted as a consultant (on behalf of both PolyGram and Universal) to the MCPS (Mechanical Rights Protection Society) and BPI (British Phonographic Industry) on rights clearance for new media.
Marghie grew up in Toronto where she was a professional singer/songwriter throughout the 1980s. She toured Ontario with her eponymous band and appeared on CBC’s “The Entertainers” and “Opry North”. She eventually signed with RCA Canada and scored a top 20 country hit with “Some Things Never Change” in 1986. She moved to England in 1988.
Michael Harrington
Dr. E. Michael Harrington has served as consultant and expert witness in hundreds of music copyright/IP matters involving The We Shall Overcome Foundation, Pharrell Williams, Robin Thicke, Taylor Swift, Led Zeppelin, Katy Perry, Dixie Chicks, Adele, Steven Spielberg, Led Zeppelin, Steve Perry, 50 Cent, Tupac, Lady Gaga, Deadmau5, Danger Mouse, Jib Jab, Adam Levine, Busta Rhymes, Samsung, HBO and others.
On February 5, 2020, he spoke about AI and creating music at the “Copyright in the Age of Artificial Intelligence” symposium sponsored by the U. S. Copyright Office and WorldIntellectual Property Organization at the Library of Congress. https://www.copyright.gov/events/artificial-intelligence/
As expert witness, he is responsible for freeing the iconic civil rights anthem, “We Shall Overcome,” on January 26, 2018: nyti.ms/2Eiibuo
On August 30, 2016, his writings and interviews were cited as authorities in the “Brief of Amici Curiae, 212 Songwriters, Composers, Musicians, and Producers in Support of Appellants” in the “Blurred Lines” decision at the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit bit.ly/2FApIqI. He co-authored the Brief of Amici Curiae Musicologists in Support of Williams & Thicke, Led Zeppelin and Katy Perry in their appeals to the Ninth Circuit.
He has been interviewed by media including New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Bloomberg Law, NPR, Bravo, CNN, BBC, CBC, The Guardian, ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox, Huffington Post, Fortune, Esquire, Salon and others, and lectured at Beverly Hills Bar, Texas Bar, Boston Bar, Minnesota Bar, Harvard Law School, Harvard Business, the American Bar Association, GWU Law, Cardozo Law, BC Law, UNH Law, Vanderbilt Law, Penn State Law, Brooklyn Law, William Mitchell Law, Arizona State Law, NYU, and more than 300 universities, festivals, conferences and organizations.
As Course Author at Berklee Online, Berklee and Coursera, he created the Coursera/Berklee Copyright Law in the Music Business which has attracted students from 117 countries: bit.ly/2zFPLfB. He also created the Berklee Online Graduate Music Business Law course bit.ly/2sifg03, and the Berklee Online Music Business Capstone course bit.ly/2HiHfDv
He was the Jemison Distinguished Professor of the Humanities at the University of Alabama-Birmingham and has taught at University of Miami, Ohio State, University of Pittsburgh, William Paterson University, Belmont University, Berklee and Berklee Online.
He has bicycled twice from Los Angeles to Nashville (2,500 miles) and once from Oregon to Nashville (3,400 miles). bit.ly/UyfCdd
Randy Wachtler
Founder of 615 Music Companies, a leading worldwide independent production music company, active in more than 70 countries. 615 Music has earned more than 70 awards for excellence in music composition including two National EMMY’S. 615 Music is recognized as a Leader in the field of Sonic Branding & Production Music Libraries. The company was acquired by the Warner Music Group in 2010 and is now part of Warner/Chappell Production Music, where Wachtler served as President and CEO. Wachtler also co-founded the Production Music Association (PMA) based in Los Angeles, CA and most recently the past Chairman and current board member of that group. Current board member of AIMP-Nashville and has served on the boards of Leadership Music and National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS). Current President of RJW Music and Consulting.
****This is a private event for Society members and their guests. If you are interested in becoming a member of the Copyright Society of the South, contact us today!***

An interview with Gary Hertz and Steve Schnur - April 21, 2020 (Webinar)
2020-04-21 11:30 - 12:15 | Webinar, Members: Please use link provided in email invitation
Steve Schnur has been a label and music publishing company President, TV executive producer, music supervisor, professional musician, songwriter, composer, record producer and more. Along the way, he has moved the needle and changed the game in the fields of music, movies, television, sports, video games and digital interactive entertainment around the world. As Worldwide Executive of EA Music Group, his role is to pursue, create and continuously develop the international vision for music in game franchises such as Battlefront, Dragon Age, FIFA, Madden NFL, Need For Speed, Star Wars, and The Sims, via which he has been responsible for internationally launching artists. His hands-on approach to composer selection, orchestration and production of well over 100 EA soundtrack albums – including original scores for Battlefield 1, The Sims, Madden NFL, Mass Effect, Dragon Age, Medal of Honor and Star Wars: Battlefront with composers that have included Mark Mothersbaugh, Michael Giacchino, Junkie XL, Steve Jablonsky and Hans Zimmer – has earned EA over 50 soundtrack nominations over the last 15+ years.
Gary Hertz is a writer, producer, marketing consultant and semi-grizzled industry veteran. Over the past 30+ years, he’s worked with companies that include New Line Cinema, Arista Records, Anchor Bay Entertainment, National Lampoon, IFC Films, Sony Digital, Rounder Records, EA Games, Severin Films, Dualtone Music Group and The Library Of Congress.
****This is a private event for Society members and their guests. If you are interested in becoming a member of the Copyright Society of the South, contact us today!***

Webinar: AI: Invasion of the Robot Creators: Underlying Rights Issues in the Use of Artificial Intelligence to Create New Works
2020-05-28 11:30 - 12:15 | Webinar, Members: Please use link provided in email invitation
PANELISTS: John Beiter, Marghie Evans, Michael Harrington, and Randy Wachtler

John Beiter has practiced entertainment law for over 25 years. His clients have included recording artists, record companies, songwriters, music publishers, filmmakers, and authors regarding talent agreements, entity formation, copyright acquisition and a wide variety of other transactional matters. His institutional clients include the Americana Music Association, the International Entertainment Buyers Association, and SESAC. He has been listed in Best Lawyers in America in Entertainment-Music since 2012 and his new firm is listed in the 2020 Best Law Firms in Entertainment-Music, Tier 1 Nashville. He is a member of the Recording Academy, Country Music Association, and American and Tennessee Bar Association entertainment law sections, and is a former Leadership Music board member and former Chairman of the Nashville Bar Association Entertainment Law Committee. Beiter helped draft the Songwriters Capital Gains Tax Equity Act and has spoken on several roundtables presented by the Copyright Office and the USPTO. Previously, he wrote songs for a Nashville music publisher.

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An expert in the rights clearance field, especially for audio-visual and new media and experienced music publishing executive, Marghie Evans is partner at Do Write Music in Nashville. She sits on the boards of Leadership Music and the Copyright Society of the South and consults with Fair Trade Music International. Do Write Music have been in business for 12 years, and represents various songwriters including Janis Ian, Delbert McClinton, Robin Zander (Cheap Trick), Victoria Shaw, Bobby Pinson, Old Crow Medicine Show and Matthan Minster (Cage the Elephant). Their catalogue includes hits for Toby Keith, Trace Adkins, Blake Shelton, and Christina Aguilera. Do Write Music was winner of 2018 Music Row song of the year “Most People Are Good”, recorded by Luke Bryant on behalf of their client, songwriter Ed Hill. Prior to setting up Do Write Music, Marghie was Head of Rights & Clearances for PolyGram Filmed Entertainment and Universal Pictures in London, England. That’s where she learned the music publishing business – licensing in music for film and TV. She also acted as a consultant (on behalf of both PolyGram and Universal) to the MCPS (Mechanical Rights Protection Society) and BPI (British Phonographic Industry) on rights clearance for new media. Marghie grew up in Toronto where she was a professional singer/songwriter throughout the 1980s. She toured Ontario with her eponymous band and appeared on CBC’s “The Entertainers” and “Opry North”. She eventually signed with RCA Canada and scored a top 20 country hit with “Some Things Never Change” in 1986. She moved to England in 1988.

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Dr. E. Michael Harrington has served as consultant and expert witness in hundreds of music copyright/IP matters involving The We Shall Overcome Foundation, Pharrell Williams, Robin Thicke, Taylor Swift, Led Zeppelin, Katy Perry, Dixie Chicks, Adele, Steven Spielberg, Led Zeppelin, Steve Perry, 50 Cent, Tupac, Lady Gaga, Deadmau5, Danger Mouse, Jib Jab, Adam Levine, Busta Rhymes, Samsung, HBO and others. On February 5, 2020, he spoke about AI and creating music at the “Copyright in the Age of Artificial Intelligence” symposium sponsored by the U. S. Copyright Office and World Intellectual Property Organization at the Library of Congress. As expert witness, he is responsible for freeing the iconic civil rights anthem, “We Shall Overcome,” on January 26, 2018. On August 30, 2016, his writings and interviews were cited as authorities in the “Brief of Amici Curiae, 212 Songwriters, Composers, Musicians, and Producers in Support of Appellants” in the “Blurred Lines” decision at the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. He co-authored the Brief of Amici Curiae Musicologists in Support of Williams & Thicke, Led Zeppelin and Katy Perry in their appeals to the Ninth Circuit. He has been interviewed by media including New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Bloomberg Law, NPR, Bravo, CNN, BBC, CBC, The Guardian, ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox, Huffington Post, Fortune, Esquire, Salon and others, and lectured at Beverly Hills Bar, Texas Bar, Boston Bar, Minnesota Bar, Harvard Law School, Harvard Business, the American Bar Association, GWU Law, Cardozo Law, BC Law, UNH Law, Vanderbilt Law, Penn State Law, Brooklyn Law, William Mitchell Law, Arizona State Law, NYU, and more than 300 universities, festivals, conferences and organizations. As Course Author at Berklee Online, Berklee and Coursera, he created the Coursera/Berklee Copyright Law in the Music Business which has attracted students from 117 countries. He also created the Berklee Online Graduate Music Business Law course, and the Berklee Online Music Business Capstone course. He was the Jemison Distinguished Professor of the Humanities at the University of Alabama-Birmingham and has taught at University of Miami, Ohio State, University of Pittsburgh, William Paterson University, Belmont University, Berklee and Berklee Online. He has bicycled twice from Los Angeles to Nashville (2,500 miles) and once from Oregon to Nashville (3,400 miles).

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Randy Wachtler is founder of 615 Music Companies, a leading worldwide independent production music company, active in more than 70 countries. 615 Music has earned more than 70 awards for excellence in music composition including two National EMMY’S. 615 Music is recognized as a Leader in the field of Sonic Branding & Production Music Libraries. The company was acquired by the Warner Music Group in 2010 and is now part of Warner/Chappell Production Music, where Wachtler served as President and CEO. Wachtler also co-founded the Production Music Association (PMA) based in Los Angeles, CA and most recently the past Chairman and current board member of that group. Current board member of AIMP-Nashville and has served on the boards of Leadership Music and National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS). Current President of RJW Music and Consulting.

****This is a private event for Society members and their guests. If you are interested in becoming a member of the Copyright Society of the South, contact us today!***

Webinar: Current Issues Facing the Marketplace
2020-09-30 11:30 - 12:15 | Webinar
SPEAKERS: Dr. Jeffrey Eisenach and Barry Massarsky
Dr. Jeffrey Eisenach is a Managing Director and Co-Chair of NERA’s Communications, Media, and Internet Practice, and serves on the firm’s Board of Directors. He is also an Adjunct Professor at George Mason University Law School, where he teaches Regulated Industries, and a Visiting Scholar at the American Enterprise Institute. Previously, Dr. Eisenach has served in senior policy positions at the US Federal Trade Commission and the White House Office of Management and Budget, and taught at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government and Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Dr. Eisenach’s consulting practice focuses on economic analysis of competition, regulatory, intellectual property and consumer protection issues. He has submitted expert reports and testified in US federal court as well before the Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, the Federal Trade Commission, the Copyright Royalty Board, the Federal Communications Commission, the International Trade Commission, US Tax Court, several state public utility commissions, and courts and regulatory bodies in Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, India, the Caribbean, and South America. He has also advised clients in some of the world’s largest information technology sector mergers. He has written or edited 19 books and monographs, including Broadband Competition in the Internet Ecosystem and Competition, Innovation and the Microsoft Monopoly: Antitrust in the Digital Marketplace. His writings have also appeared in scholarly journals such as The Review of Network Economics, as well as in popular outlets like Forbes, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal. Prior to joining NERA, Dr. Eisenach was a managing director and principal at Navigant Economics, and before that he served as Chairman of Empiris LLC, Criterion Economics, and CapAnalysis, LLC. Among his other previous affiliations, Dr. Eisenach has served as President and Senior Fellow at The Progress & Freedom Foundation; as a scholar the Heritage Foundation, and the Hudson Institute; as a member of the 1980-81 Reagan-Bush Transition Team on the Federal Trade Commission, the 2000-2001 Bush-Cheney Transition Team on the Federal Communications Commission, the Virginia Governor’s Commission on E-Communities, and the Virginia Attorney General’s Task Force on Identity Theft. In 2016-2017 he led the Trump-Pence Transition Team for the Federal Communications Commission. Dr. Eisenach received his PhD in economics from the University of Virginia and his BA in economics from Claremont McKenna College.
Barry M. Massarsky has been operating as a music industry economist since 1981. After graduating Cornell University with his MBA, he became the Senior Economist at ASCAP and then in 1992, formed his own economic consulting firm which now includes four music economic consultants, including his partner, Ms. Nari Matsuura. For the last consecutive 28 years, he has served as the outside economist for both RIAA and SESAC and co-developed the strategies that lead to the formation of SoundExchange. He has been the performance rights outside expert for both UMPG and Warner Chappell since 2003, as well as currently serving in a similar capacity for SONY/ATV. He also contributes to the economic and strategic positioning for both MUSICFIRST and SESAC in their respective dealings concerning terrestrial radio licensing. His firm presently provides music catalog valuations for most players comprising the music copyright financial marketplace and is recognized as a first-in-class valuation firm by both the significant commercial lenders and privately held funds in this space. He is also a veteran economic expert in copyright damages cases for the music industry’s major record labels and publishers with his current assignment representing the interests of Ed Sheeran.
****This is a private event for Society members and their guests. If you are interested in becoming a member of the Copyright Society of the South, contact us today!***

Webinar: November 17, 2020 – All About The Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC)
2020-11-17 11:30 - 12:15 | Webinar
GUEST SPEAKER: Maurice Russell
Maurice Russell is the Head of Rights Management for The Mechanical Licensing Collective (www.themlc.com). In this role, Russell supports The MLC’s work to implement the first statutory blanket licensing system for mechanical rights in the United States. Russell also leverages his operational and administrative expertise in order to help The MLC prepare to process digital music royalty payments to music publishers and songwriters globally.
A senior executive in the music and entertainment industry with over 20 years of experience and a deep passion for intellectual property (IP) rights management, licensing, business development, strategy, client service and operations management, Russell was previously the founder of music industry rights management consultancy firm Media Rights Management (MRM). At MRM, Russell helped his clients navigate the music industry’s growing licensing and data challenges.
****This is a private online event for Society members. If you are interested in becoming a member of the Copyright Society of the South, contact us today!***

Webinar: Stan Soocher's Annual Copyright Review
2020-12-11 11:30 - 12:15 | Webinar
GUEST SPEAKER: Stan Soocher

Stan Soocher is Professor of Music & Entertainment Industry Studies at the University of Colorado’s Denver Campus and the long-time Editor-in-Chief of Entertainment Law & Finance. In addition, Stan is an award-winning journalist and entertainment attorney. He is author of the books Baby You’re a Rich Man: Suing the Beatles for Fun & Profit and They Fought the Law: Rock Music Goes to Court, as well as of the chapter “Twenty-First-Century Patronage: The Road to Billy Joel’s Madison Square Garden Concert Residency” in the new book We Didn’t Start the Fire: Billy Joel and Popular Music Studies.
This is Stan’s 24th consecutive year presenting “Copyright Year in Review” to the Copyright Society of the South.
****This is a private online event for Society members and their guests. If you are interested in becoming a member of the Copyright Society of the South, contact us today!***

February 25, 2021 - Updates from the Copyright Office
2021-02-25 11:30 - 12:30 | Webinar, Members: Please use link provided in email invitation
GUEST SPEAKER: Regan Smith
Regan Smith is the General Counsel and Associate Register of Copyrights for the United States Copyright Office. She was appointed to the position effective May 27, 2018.In her position as General Counsel, Smith provides legal guidance to the various divisions and programs of the Office, including the national registration and recordation systems, and she is frequently called upon by congressional offices, the U.S. Department of Justice, and other federal agencies for advice and assistance. She also has primary responsibility for the formation and promulgation of regulations and the adoption of legal positions governing policy matters and practices of the Copyright Office. Since joining the Office, Smith has been involved in music copyright issues, including advising congressional offices with respect to the Music Modernization Act, and she now leads the Office’s efforts to implement this historic law through regulatory and other activities on behalf of the Register of Copyrights.
Before joining the Copyright Office, Smith spent several years in private practice, where she represented a variety of clients in matters concerning copyright, technology, media, and related intellectual property issues. Smith earned her JD from Harvard Law School, and her BA in philosophy and political science from the University of Michigan. Prior to attending law school, Smith worked at a start-up enterprise on various film, theatrical, music, and emerging media projects.
****This is a private Zoom webinar event for Society members and their guests. If you are interested in becoming a member of the Copyright Society of the South, contact us today!***

March 24, 2021 - Colin Rushing | SXWorks
2021-03-24 11:30 - 12:30 | Webinar
GUEST SPEAKER: Colin Rushing

Colin Rushing is Chief Legal Officer for SoundExchange (www.soundexchange.com), overseeing the organization’s legal, regulatory, and corporate affairs, supervises rate setting proceedings, directs the organization’s enforcement program, and plays a key role in shaping SoundExchange’s strategic development. At this event Colin will discuss SXWorks, the SoundExchange company formed to serve the publishing industry, and also provide a brief update about the latest webcasting proceeding.
Colin originally joined SoundExchange in the role of Senior Counsel for Licensing and Enforcement, in which position he developed a comprehensive enforcement program, advised the organization on regulatory matters, and helped manage rate-setting proceedings.
Rushing is a graduate of James Madison University and the University of Virginia School of Law. After law school, he clerked for the Hon. T.S. Ellis III in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. Before joining SoundExchange Colin was an attorney at Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP Washington, D.C., where he focused on intellectual property and media law.
****This is a private event for Society members and their registered guests. If you are interested in becoming a member of the Copyright Society of the South, contact us today!***

May 20, 2021 – Navigating Livestream (Panel)
2021-05-20 11:30 - 12:30 | Webinar
Guest Panelists:
Marghie Evans (Moderator) – Do Write Music (www.dowritemusic.com)
ET Brown – SESAC (www.sesac.com)
Mark Greenburg – SBN Broadcasting Networks (www.thespinnetwork.com)
Brandon Schott – Concord Music (www.concord.com)
Melanie Shark – Mandolin (https://partners.mandolin.com)
Shawn Wilson – Muzooka (www.muzooka.com)
Please note only members in good standing and invited guests will be granted access. You must register to attend.

August 18, 2021 Webinar: Fighting the Good Fight - NMPA Update
2021-08-18 11:30 - 12:30 | Webinar
Guest Speaker: David Israelite, President and CEO, National Music Publishers’ Association
Moderator: Kent Draughon, CSoS President
Please note only members in good standing and invited guests will be granted access. You must register to attend.

September 28, 2021 Webinar: NFT's and Copyright
2021-09-28 11:30 - 12:30 | Webinar, Members: Please use link provided in email invitation
PANELISTS: Jordan Bromley, Manatt Entertainment; Brian Frye, University of Kentucky College of Law; Jeremy S. Goldman, Frankfurt, Kurnit, Klein & Selz

MODERATOR: Tara Aaron-Stelluto, Aaron | Sanders PLLC | Member, CSoS Board of Directors
Please note only members in good standing and invited guests will be granted access. You must register to attend.

Webinar: Stan Soocher’s Annual Copyright Review
2021-12-09 11:30 - 12:30 | Webinar
GUEST SPEAKER: Stan Soocher
Stan Soocher is Professor Emeritus of Music & Entertainment Industry Studies at the University of Colorado’s Denver Campus and the long-time Editor-in-Chief of Entertainment Law & Finance. In addition, Stan is an award-winning journalist and entertainment attorney. He is author of the books Baby You’re a Rich Man: Suing the Beatles for Fun & Profit and They Fought the Law: Rock Music Goes to Court, as well as of the chapter “Twenty-First-Century Patronage: The Road to Billy Joel’s Madison Square Garden Concert Residency” in the new book We Didn’t Start the Fire: Billy Joel and Popular Music Studies.
This is Stan’s 25th consecutive year presenting “Copyright Year in Review” to the Copyright Society of the South.
CSoS Members must be registered prior to the meeting in order to grant access. Contact janice.jackson1@att.net for more information or assistance with registration.

Webinar: Legislative Landscape 2022
2022-01-26 11:30 - 12:30 | Webinar, Members: Please use link provided in email invitation
GUEST SPEAKER: Bart Herbison
Bart Herbison is Executive Director of the Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) with 100 domestic and international chapters. NSAI is the world’s largest not-for-profit trade organization dedicated to the songwriting profession. Established in 1967, the organization’s membership of more than 5,000 spans the United States and may other countries. NSAI is dedicated to protecting songwriter’s rights and serves aspiring and professional songwriters in all genres of music.
Under Herbison’s leadership NSAI gained prominence in the national legislative arena. Accomplishments include:

Adoption of the historic “Music Modernization Act” in 2018, the most important copyright reform bill for American songwriters in the modern era of music. Creation of the “Mechanical Licensing Collective” (MLC) in 2019.
Passage of the landmark “Songwriters Capital Gains Tax Equity Act” in 2006.
Prevailing in the Copyright Royalty Board trials that in 2008-09 that established songwriters be paid a percentage rate for subscription music services and in 2018 saw the largest mechanical royalty increase for songwriters in history of more than 44%.
Participation in the U.S. Supreme Court cases including Eldred vs. Ashcroft upholding Congress’s authority to grant an additional twenty years on the length of American copyrights and the landmark “Grokster” case which determined peer-to-peer services have liability when distributing copyrighted material.
Creation of the first-ever Group Copyright Infringement Insurance for songwriters and music publishers.
Purchase of the “Music Mill” studios as NSAI headquarters in 2005.
Acquisition of the world-famous “Bluebird Café” in 2008.

CSoS Members must be in good standing and registered prior to the meeting in order to grant access. Contact Society Administrator Janice Bane (jbane@barbershop.org) for more information or assistance with your registration.

Webinar: Who Has the Last Laugh Now?: A Conversation with Word Collections CEO Jeff Price
2022-03-03 11:30 - 12:30 | Webinar, Members: Please use link provided in email invitation
Copyright law can be confusing. The good news is that under US copyright law, comedians and other spoken word performers have the exact same copyrights and even better legal rights than musical songwriters. This means the licenses and accompanying royalties are not at all imaginary but required and protected under the existing laws. The problem is not that the laws don’t exist, the problem is the law is being broken, licenses are not getting obtained and the associated payments are not getting made.
Guest speaker Jeff Price, CEO of Word Collections, will explain the details in the law that protects spoken word creators, the licenses that are necessary for streaming, and the current legal arguments related to these uses.

About Jeff Price
In July 2020, after getting $1.5 billion into the pockets of artists, songwriters and performers, Jeff launched Word Collections to get all comedian and spoken word performers paid for the broadcast and other use of their literary works.
In June 2013 Price launched Audiam and represented works for millions of songs including the publishing catalogs of Bob Dylan, Round Hill and Carlin Music, Third Side Music, House Of Hassle/Rough Trade, Metallica, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Jason Mraz, Jack White, Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons, Tori Amos, Aimee Mann, Pretty Lights, Mike Campbell, Ruthless, Epitaph, Sumerian, Puscifer and thousands more to get them licensed and paid for the streams of their recordings on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, Amazon and other interactive digital streaming services.
Jeff Price launched TuneCore in January 2006 and built it into the world’s largest music distribution and publishing administration entity while changing the global music industry business model and getting over $1 billion from music sales into their pockets.
In 1990 Price co-founded and was GM / President of the New York based independent record label spinART records (Pixies, Echo & The Bunnymen, Apples In Stereo, Richard Thompson etc) for seventeen years – his label was in strategic relationships with Sony, Warner Bros., Sire, Polygram Music Publishing and others.
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****This is a private online event for Society members and their guests. If you are interested in becoming a member of the Copyright Society of the South, contact us today!***

Webinar: Thriving in the Digital Age: A Conversation with Linda Bloss-Baum at SoundExchange
2022-03-30 11:30 - 12:30 | Webinar, Members: Please use link provided in email invitation
Linda Bloss-Baum, VP/Government Relations & Public Affairs at SoundExchange (www.soundexchange.com), will provide an update on their latest programs including the fight to create a terrestrial performance right for artists (via the American Music Fairness Act), new developments in royalties for foreign neighboring rights, an update on digital radio in the US, and other key initiatives of interest to all creators and rights owners.

About Linda Bloss-Baum
Linda Bloss-Baum leads SoundExchange’s industry-shaping advocacy efforts in favor of the fair treatment of music creators in the digital age. She represents SoundExchange to critical external audiences, including lawmakers, regulators and industry stakeholders. For the past eight years, Linda has been a liaison between SoundExchange and artists and industry leaders.
Before joining SoundExchange full time Linda served as an independent consultant for SoundExchange and recording artists through her agency, LBB Creative Strategies. Prior to establishing LBB Creative Strategies, Linda ran the Warner Music Group office in Washington, D.C. for six years. She also served as Vice President, Public Policy/Government Relations at Universal Music Group/NBC Universal and Time Warner, Inc.
Linda graduated from Catholic University Law School. She is an adjunct professor at the KOGOD School of Business at her undergrad alma mater, American University, where she teaches a class on “Protecting the Creative Class in the Digital Age.” Linda proudly serves on the Board of Directors for the Gospel Music Association.
About SoundExchange (www.soundexchange.com)
SoundExchange is the premier music tech organization on a mission to power the future of music. It was independently formed in 2003 to build a fairer, simpler, and more efficient music industry through technology, data, and advocacy. The only organization designated by the U.S. government to administer the Section 114 sound recording license, SoundExchange collects and distributes digital performance royalties on behalf of 560,000 music creators and growing. Through proprietary music tech solutions that turn data into accurate revenue, SoundExchange has paid more than $9 billion in distributions to date. For more information, visit www.soundexchange.com .

Webinar: The Phonorecords III Remand - What does this mean for the copyright holder?
2022-08-23 12:00 - 13:00 | Webinar
Danielle Aguirre, Executive Vice President & General Counsel of the National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA), will present information regarding the Phonorecords II Remand, updates since the July 1 response to the CRB, and the Remand’s potential impacts to the copyright landscape.
About Danielle Aguirre
Danielle oversees all of NMPA’s legal, business and policy objectives. Her role is to protect and enforce the copyrights and intellectual property interests of songwriters and music publishers. Ms. Aguirre has aggressively fought digital piracy and infringement litigating against digital platforms, and she works with the largest companies, digital services and record labels to ensure that publishers and songwriters are being fairly compensated for the use of their songs.

Ms. Aguirre was integrally involved in the negotiation, drafting and passage of the Music Modernization Act, legislation that amended U.S. Copyright law and led to the creation of a new licensing company, the Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC). After co-leading a team that developed the MLC, she currently serves as the statutorily designated non-voting publisher representative on the MLC board. In 2018, Billboard honored her as the Women in Music Co-Executive of the Year for her work on the MMA and MLC.

Prior to joining NMPA, Ms. Aguirre was an attorney at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton and Garrison LLP. She received her JD from the University of Pennsylvania Law School and her BA from Georgetown University.
About the NMPA (www.nmpa.org)
Founded in 1917, the National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA) is the trade association representing all American music publishers and their songwriting partners. The NMPA’s mandate is to protect and advance the interests of music publishers and songwriters in matters relating to the domestic and global protection of music copyrights.
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****This is a private online event for Society members and their registered guests. If you are interested in becoming a member of the Copyright Society of the South, contact us today at copyrightsocietyofthesouth@gmail.com .***

Lunch with Mozaic's Marcus Cobb
2022-09-27 11:30 - 13:00 | BMI, 10 Music Square East, Nashville, TN, 37203, United States
About Marcus Cobb
Marcus Cobb is CEO and co-founder of FinTech company Mozaic, fka Jammber (www.mozaic.io). Cobb, Nashville NEXT’s 2019 Entrepreneur of the Year, is a serial entrepreneur, technologist, product designer and dynamic public speaker. His striking journey took him from modest beginnings in El Pasto to technology leader for Fortune 50 companies, amassing a remarkable project portfolio, including Microsoft, Dell, and CitiGroup. Mozaic is an API-first, global split payment platform for enterprise companies and creative professionals where users can automatically send and receive payments with collaborates across the globe. It provides smart contracts that automate split income among creative teams. Mozaic.io was recently selected for the 2022 Google for Startups Accelerator: Black Founders cohort, and also won the LGBTQ+ category in Visa’s Everywhere initiative pitch competition, which included a strategic partnership with Visa. Marcus is a founding member of the Rolling Stone Culture Council and Berklee’s Open Music Initiative. He also serves on the boards of the Music Business Association and Illinois Technology Foundation.
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****This is a private event for Society members and their registered guests. If you are interested in becoming a member of the Copyright Society of the South, contact us today at copyrightsocietyofthesouth@gmail.com .***

October 20, 2022 - NIVA: Saving Local Live Entertainment from the Pandemic & Beyond
2022-10-20 11:30 - 13:00 | Webinar, Members: Please use link provided in email invitation
At this month’s webinar learn more about the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA), which was formed in March 2020 to fight for pandemic relief for local music and comedy venues, securing more than $16 billion in funding and keeping a vital part of the music industry afloat. Dayna Frank and Tobi Parks will discuss the organization’s mission and successes, their plans for NIVA’s next chapter, and their new program to improve setlist data for performance licensing. You don’t want to miss this online event!

Dayna Franks Tobi Parks
Please note only members in good standing and invited guests will be granted access to the webinar. You must register to attend. For further assistance please contact copyrightsocietyofthesouth@gmail.com .

November 15, 2022 - Christian & Gospel Music: The State of the Industry & Beyond
2022-11-15 11:30 - 13:00
According to GMA over 53 million Americans listen to Christian and Gospel Music several times a week. These listeners are diverse and most of the listener base is under the age of 50! After a very successful Gospel Music Week recently held in Nashville, our November event will feature a panel of experts who will discuss the current state of the Christian music industry and what lies ahead. Kent Draughon, Society Board Member and VP/Administration & Operations for Capitol CMG Publishing, will moderate this informative discussion.
Members, join us for lunch and network with fellow members and guests!
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****This is a private event for Society members and their registered guests. If you are interested in becoming a member of the Copyright Society of the South, or if you are an active member and did not receive your email invitation, contact us at copyrightsocietyofthesouth@gmail.com .***

December 8, 2022 – Annual Copyright Review with Stan Soocher
2022-12-08 11:30 - 13:00 | BMI, 10 Music Square East, Nashville, TN, 37203, United States
Stan Soocher is an award-winning journalist and entertainment attorney, as well as the long-time Editor-in-Chief of Entertainment Law & Finance, an ALM publication. In addition, Stan is Professor Emeritus of Music & Entertainment Industry Studies at the University of Colorado Denver, where he served as a Music Department Chair.
Soocher has given speeches on entertainment law and related industry issues to bar associations and/or entertainment industry conferences in Los Angeles, Nashville, New York, Austin, Washington, D.C., the United Kingdom, Germany, Las Vegas, Miami, Oregon, Minnesota, Virginia, Washington State, Orlando, Atlanta, Boston, New Orleans, North Carolina, New Jersey and Colorado, among other locations.
Stan is a recipient of the State Bar of Texas Entertainment & Sports Law Section’s “Texas Star Award.” The award is given to an individual “who has made a major and noteworthy contribution to the practice of entertainment law.” Also during his career, Stan has received ASCAP Deems Taylor Awards for excellence in music journalism, including for his music law articles in Rolling Stone, The National Law Journal and Musician Magazine.
Soocher has authored the books Baby You’re a Rich Man: Suing the Beatles for Fun & Profit and They Fought the Law: Rock Music Goes to Court. Stan wrote the chapter “Twenty-First-Century Patronage: The Road to Billy Joel’s Madison Square Garden Concert Residency” in the 2020 book We Didn’t Start the Fire: Billy Joel and Popular Music Studies , edited by Joshua S. Duchan and Ryan Raul Bañagale/Lexington Books. Billy Joel wrote the book’s Foreword.
Stan holds B.A. and M.A. degrees in English from the University of Florida and a J.D. from New York Law School. He is also a drummer.
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Members, join us for a delicious holiday buffet and network with fellow members and guests! RSVP is required for admittance to the event.
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****This is a private event for Society members and their registered guests. If you are interested in becoming a member of the Copyright Society of the South, or if you are an active member and did not receive your email invitation, contact us at copyrightsocietyofthesouth@gmail.com .***

March 29, 2023 - On The Shoulders Of Giants
2023-03-29 11:30 - 13:00
Learn how and why the Copyright Society of the South was formed
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How the music industry has changed over the last 40 years
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What industry veterans think about the future of the business
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…and hear some great industry stories from 3 of the original founders of our organization!
Members, join us for an executive boxed lunch and network with fellow members and guests! RSVP is required for admittance to the event.
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****This is a private event for Society members and their registered guests. If you are interested in becoming a member of the Copyright Society of the South, or if you are an active member and did not receive your email invitation, contact us at copyrightsocietyofthesouth@gmail.com .***

May 23, 2023 - Living with AI, IP & Music in the Better-Best of Times
2023-05-23 11:30 - 13:00
Dr. E. Michael Harrington is a composer, musician, consultant, professor, and course author and professor at Berklee College Online. Harrington served as expert at the U.S. Copyright Office and World Intellectual Property Organization’s symposium Copyright in the Age of Artificial Intelligence at the Library of Congress in February 2020. He created the Coursera/Berklee College of Music Copyright Law In The Music Business class/MOOC which has been taken by students from 169 countries from Afghanistan to Maldives to Zimbabwe, the Berklee Online Music Business Capstone course, and the Berklee Online Graduate Music Business Law class.
Harrington was the Expert Witness responsible for freeing the iconic civil rights anthem We Shall Overcome in 2018. He co-authored two successful amicus briefs for defendants Led Zeppelin and Katy Perry in the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in 2020. (The Led Zeppelin decision was affirmed by the U.S. Supreme Court on October 5, 2020.) Harrington has served as consultant in hundreds of music copyright & IP matters involving Apple, Amazon, Walt Disney, HBO, Samsung, Blurred Lines, Busta Rhymes, 50 Cent, Tupac, Led Zeppelin, the Chicks, Katy Perry, Steve Perry, Adele, Lady Gaga, Deadmaus, Steven Spielberg, and many more.
Harrington has spoken at more than 400 music conferences, bar associations, law schools and universities including Harvard Law, UNH Law, Penn State Law, BC Law, GWU Law, Cardozo Law, Brooklyn Law, Boston Bar, Beverly Hills Bar, Texas Bar, American Bar Association, NYIPLA, Minnesota Bar, Rotary International and been interviewed by the New York Times, Washington Post, CNN, Fox, Bloomberg Law, Wall Street Journal, National Public Radio, PBS, BBC, CBC and more.
He has created more than 30 courses at several universities including Berklee, Berklee Online, the University of Alabama-Birmingham, William Paterson University and Belmont University.
An avid bicyclist, Harrington has bicycled three times across the United States – twice from Los Angeles to Nashville, and once from Florence, Oregon to Nashville (3,400 miles).

****This is a private event for Society members and their registered guests. If you are interested in becoming a member of the Copyright Society of the South, or if you are an active member and did not receive your email invitation, contact us at copyrightsocietyofthesouth@gmail.com .***

September 11, 2023 - Fall Copyright Symposium
2023-09-11 10:00 - 13:00 | Belmont University, 1900 Belmont Avenue, Nashville, TN, 37212, United States
Copyright comes to Nashville! Enjoy three awesome sessions with Judge Steve Ruwe and John Riley as they discuss the current landscape of copyright from the front lines. This event will NOT be recorded. Don’t miss it!
Guest Speakers/Panelists:

Judge Steve Ruwe has a broad background in copyright and intellectual property law. Before his appointment to the Copyright Royalty Board, Ruwe served as assistant general counsel in the Copyright Office’s Office of the General Counsel. He began his service in the Copyright Office in 2006, rising from the position of attorney-advisor to assistant general counsel. Ruwe’s work at the Copyright Office ranged over many issues, including statutory licensing, CRB rate determinations, regulations, policy studies, and appellate litigation.
From 2016 to 2018, he held the position of attorney advisor for copyright law and policy with the Patent and Trademark Office’s Office of Policy and International Affairs. With the PTO, Ruwe served on U.S. delegations in international negotiations, including NAFTA/USMCA negotiations and treaty negotiations at the World Intellectual Property Organization’s Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights.

John Riley is an Assistant General Counsel at the Copyright Office where he has contributed to the United States Government’s briefs in the Petrella and Aereo Supreme Court cases, the Copyright Small Claims, Copyright and the Music Marketplace, and Unclaimed Royalties: Best Practice Recommendations for the Mechanical Licensing Collective policy reports, and, among other regulatory work, has authored rules implementing the Music Modernization Act, Copyright Alternative in Small-Claims Enforcement (“CASE”) Act of 2020, and the GRAM registration option.
Prior to joining the Copyright Office, John worked as the Senior Manager of Intellectual Property Enforcement at the United States Chamber of Commerce’s Global Intellectual Property Center. John earned his LL.M. in Intellectual Property Law from the George Washington University Law School and his JD from the Dickinson School of Law. He holds BA degrees in Political Science, English, and Communication Arts & Sciences from Penn State University. He has been recognized by the American Intellectual Property Law Association for his distinguished service and contributions in the field of intellectual property law.

****This is a private event for Society members and their registered guests. If you are interested in becoming a member of the Copyright Society of the South, or if you are an active member and did not receive your email invitation, contact us at copyrightsocietyofthesouth@gmail.com .***

The TEC: Opportunities for Creators and IP Stakeholders in Tennessee
2023-10-18 11:30 - 13:00
Learn more about the current landscape, opportunities, and the bright future of our industry by long-time music executive Jimmy Wheeler, Director of Business Development for the Tennessee Entertainment Commission’s new Music Office.
The office is part of a new initiative to grow investment and job creation in the music sector. This is a statewide effort focused on economic development, workforce/education, community resources and legislative initiatives that benefit the music industry directly.
Wheeler, a former Sony Music executive, works closely with Tennessee’s Department of Community and Economic Development, the Governor’s Office, and the Department of Tourist Development to bolster the business of music throughout communities in Tennessee.
“We want music businesses and creators to think of Tennessee first when deciding on where they want to work,” says Wheeler. “We have the resources and infrastructure throughout the state that make us an attractive landing spot.”

****This is a private event for Society members and their registered guests. If you are interested in becoming a member of the Copyright Society of the South, or if you are an active member and did not receive your email invitation, contact us at copyrightsocietyofthesouth@gmail.com .***

November 15, 2023 - At Long Last...Phonorecord III Adjustments! What to expect!
2023-11-15 11:30 - 13:00
In April 2023 IP organizations called on the Copyright Royalty Board to accelerate the finalization of the Phonorecords III ruling that it had handed down in July of 2022. Now, the three-judge CRB has officially issued its final determination for the five-year stretch at hand. Notice of the CRB’s long-awaited Phonorecords III decision was just recently published and it’s estimated to release at least $800 million in owed mechanical royalties! Interested in learning more? Our upcoming November luncheon event is for you! Guest speakers Bill Colitre from Music Reports International (MRI) and Rick Marshall from The Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC) will discuss Phonorecords III and its upcoming impact on songwriters, publishers, and other copyright holders. Don’t miss this event!
Rick Marshall

Bill Colitre

Members, join us for a delicious executive box lunch from Chef’s Market and network with fellow members and guests! RSVP is required for lunch – cutoff date is November 7, 2023.
****This is a private event for Society members and their registered guests. If you are interested in becoming a member of the Copyright Society of the South, or if you are an active member and did not receive your email invitation, contact us at copyrightsocietyofthesouth@gmail.com .***

December 7, 2023 - Annual Copyright Review With Stan Soocher!
2023-12-07 11:30 - 13:00
Honorary Society Member Stan Soocher is an award-winning journalist and entertainment attorney, as well as the long-time Editor-in-Chief of Entertainment Law & Finance, an ALM publication. In addition, Stan is Professor Emeritus of Music & Entertainment Industry Studies at the University of Colorado Denver, where he served as a Music Department Chair.
Soocher has given speeches on entertainment law and related industry issues to bar associations and/or entertainment industry conferences in Los Angeles, Nashville, New York, Austin, Washington, D.C., the United Kingdom, Germany, Las Vegas, Miami, Oregon, Minnesota, Virginia, Washington State, Orlando, Atlanta, Boston, New Orleans, North Carolina, New Jersey and Colorado, among other locations.
Stan is a recipient of the State Bar of Texas Entertainment & Sports Law Section’s “Texas Star Award.” The award is given to an individual “who has made a major and noteworthy contribution to the practice of entertainment law.” Also during his career, Stan has received ASCAP Deems Taylor Awards for excellence in music journalism, including for his music law articles in Rolling Stone, The National Law Journal and Musician Magazine.
Soocher has authored the books Baby You’re a Rich Man: Suing the Beatles for Fun & Profit and They Fought the Law: Rock Music Goes to Court. Stan wrote the chapter “Twenty-First-Century Patronage: The Road to Billy Joel’s Madison Square Garden Concert Residency” in the 2020 book We Didn’t Start the Fire: Billy Joel and Popular Music Studies , edited by Joshua S. Duchan and Ryan Raul Bañagale/Lexington Books. Billy Joel wrote the book’s Foreword.
Stan holds B.A. and M.A. degrees in English from the University of Florida and a J.D. from New York Law School. He is also a drummer.
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Members, join us for a delicious holiday buffet and network with fellow members and guests! RSVP is required for admittance to this event.
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****This is a private event for Society members and their registered guests. If you are interested in becoming a member of the Copyright Society of the South, or if you are an active member and did not receive your email invitation, contact us at copyrightsocietyofthesouth@gmail.com .***

January 11, 2024 - Legislative Updates with Bart Herbison
2024-01-11 11:30 - 13:00
GUEST SPEAKER: Bart Herbison
A Paris, Tennessee native, Bart Herbison spent 14 years in commercial radio, worked as a reporter and as a correspondent for The Nashville Banner newspaper before joining the administration of former Tennessee Governor Ned McWherter as Deputy Director of Communications in 1987. Herbison joined the staff of U.S. Rep. Bob Clement (D-Nashville) in 1988 where he served as the Tennessee Congressman’s Press Secretary, Campaign Manager and Chief Tennessee Administrative Officer before leaving Capitol Hill for Music Row in 1997.
Herbison is Executive Director of the Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI), the world’s largest not-for-profit songwriters trade organization and advocacy group dedicated to the songwriting profession. Established in 1967, NSAI’s membership of nearly 5,000 spans the United States and other countries. With nearly one hundred chapters, the association serves aspiring and professional songwriters in all genres of music. They also own The Bluebird Cafe in Nashville, Tennessee.
Under Herbison’s leadership NSAI gained prominence in the national legislative arena. Accomplishments include:

Adoption of the “Music Modernization Act” in 2018, the most important copyright law reform for songwriters in decades.
Creation of the Mechanical Licensing Collective of which he is a board member.
Led NSAI’s involvement in the 2016 Copyright Royalty Board (CRB) trial that led to a historic 44% mechanical royalty increase for American songwriters and the subsequent CRB IV.
Passage of the landmark “Songwriters Capital Gains Tax Equity Act” in 2006.
Creation of the first-ever Group Copyright Infringement Insurance for songwriters and music publishers in a partnership with Frost Specialty Inc.
Acquisition of the world-famous “Bluebird Café” in 2008.
Purchase of the “Music Mill” studios as NSAI headquarters in 2005.

In 2018 Herbison received two prestigious national honors for his songwriter advocacy work — the “Industry Legacy Award” from the National Music Publishers Association (NMPA) and the “IP Champion’s Award” from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Global Innovation Policy Center. He serves on the Board of Directors of the Mechanical Licensing Collective. In 2020 he was honored by the Assn. of Independent Music Publishers for his advocacy work and in 2021 received the “Arnold Broido Award” for Copyright Advocacy from the Music Publishers Assn. in 2023 Bart and Bluebird Café General Manager Erika Wollam Nichols received the “Bob Kingsley Living Legend Award” to benefit the Grand Ole Opry Trust fund.
Appearing in his first movie role, Herbison portrayed himself in the 2017 film “Wheeler” starring Stephen Dorff. He is featured in the documentary “The Last Songwriter” released in 2018 and the documentary “It All Begins With a Song” where he served as Assistant Executive Producer Herbison hosts the weekly video/print interview series “Story Behind the Song” appearing in The Tennessean and other Gannett newspapers.
Society members must be in good standing and registered prior to the meeting in order to attend. Contact copyrightsocietyofthesouth@gmail.com if you have not received your invitation via email.

The ELVIS Act Conversation Continues: Experts Panel with Tom Clees, Senator Jack Johnson, & Denise Stevens - Moderated by Suzanne Kessler
2024-02-29 11:30 - 13:00
Tom Clees, Panelist
Tom Clees is Senior Vice President of Federal Public Policy for the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). As a lobbyist and political strategist for RIAA, Clees represents the major American record labels’ interests before members of Congress and their staffs. This work has included advocacy on issues including copyright and intellectual property protection, digital trade and content moderation, COVID-19 relief for the music community, and social justice reforms. Prior to RIAA Tom worked as an advisor to Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) and then-Congresswoman Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) and was a political law attorney in his home state of Arizona.

Senator Jack Johnson, Panelist
Senator Jack Johnson grew up in a small town in Texas, but has proudly called middle Tennessee “home” since graduating from Texas State University with a degree in Education.
Jack and his wife Deanna, the Circuit Court Judge for the 21st Judicial District, are raising their three children in Franklin. Jack and Deanna met over 30 years ago at a Young Republican function, sharing the same conservative values and the same dream of a future filled with faith and family.
Senator Johnson was first elected to the Tennessee State Senate in 2006. He was proud to cast his first vote in the Senate for the first Republican Lieutenant Governor in 140 years. After only two years, he was appointed as Chairman of the Government Operations Committee. A year later, he was named Chairman of the Commerce and Labor Committee. He served as Commerce Committee Chairman for nine years until December of 2018, when he was elected by his Republican colleagues as the Senate Majority Leader.
Jack Johnson has over 20 years of hands-on experience in the financial industry, beginning his career with Third National Bank (now SunTrust). Over the last few years, Jack worked as the Senior Vice President for Studio Bank in the Cool Springs area. More recently, Jack owns and operates several businesses within Williamson and Davidson Counties.
Senator Johnson proudly represents the 27th District, which includes most of Williamson County. When the day’s work is done, Jack enjoys spending time with his family, playing guitar, and piloting private aircraft.

Denise Stevens, Panelist
Denise Stevens is a Partner with Loeb and Loeb, where her transactional practice focuses on creative properties across multiple platforms, including music, publishing, touring, television and film.
With a depth of experience reflective of her top-tier high-profile clients, including superstar recording artists and multi-hyphenate film and television personalities, Stevens is well-seasoned in all aspects of talent representation and a broad variety of entertainment matters, including the negotiation and renegotiation of exclusive major label recording and entertainment services agreements, establishing an artist’s independent operation for recording and other creative endeavors with venture partners, capitalizing on an artist’s brand value with major retailers and brands through various multi-platform sponsorship, endorsement agreements, philanthropy and other campaigns, creating artist-branded beverage, clothing and merchandise lines, literary agreements, film and television production and appearances, production of major concert tours and residencies, intellectual property protection, and numerous other performing, licensing, publishing, appearance, production and other agreements.
Her talent clients include Carrie Underwood, Loretta Lynn and her legacy, Chris Tomlin, Anthony Hamilton, Teyana Taylor, Saving Abel, Sixpence None The Richer, and Shaylen. In addition, she represents music publishers, film and TV producers and talent, financial institutions, and cutting edge entertainment tech companies such as Musicnotes, Single Music, and Labelcoin and a to-be-announced user-centric music streaming platform under development. As general counsel to NSAI, she authored the bill that ultimately became the Songwriter’s Capital Gains Tax Equity Act, which has benefitted preeminent songwriters and countless other American songwriters in receiving fair tax treatment upon the ultimate sale of their works.

Suzanne Kessler, Moderator
Suzanne Kessler provides counsel and consulting services to entertainment industry creatives and companies. She previously served as Vice President of Business Development at Universal Music Group Nashville, and Director of Business and Legal Affairs at UMG corporate and A&M Records in Los Angeles. Suzanne began her legal career at an entertainment law firm in Beverly Hills where she represented major studios, music companies, talent, and estates of deceased celebrities.
Suzanne is a long-term Adjunct Professor at Vanderbilt Law School, teaching entertainment law and licensing. She is a past Board member of the Nashville Symphony, a current Council member of the W.O. Smith Music School, an alumna of Leadership Music, a member of the Copyright Society of the South, and a Nashville Bar Foundation Fellow. Suzanne graduated from Brown University and Stanford Law School and has a M.A. in Communication/Documentary Film Production from Stanford.
Recent documentary projects on which Suzanne served as a producer include two PBS American Masters films—on Patsy Cline and Charley Pride—and a documentary on the origins of Curious George.

Society members must be in good standing and registered prior to the meeting in order to attend. Contact copyrightsocietyofthesouth@gmail.com if you have not received your invitation via email.

May 8, 2024 - Neighboring Rights 101
2024-05-08 11:30 - 13:00
The Copyright Society of the South is pleased to host a presentation on all things Neighboring Rights. Darcie Molina, from Kollective Neighboring Rights, will join us virtually to provide an overview for both sound recording owners and artists in this complicated area of our industry, along with Ryan Lehning from SoundExchange, who will join us in person to discuss legal issues related to these rights (in particular, how US rights owners are treated). There will be plenty of time for questions, so be ready to learn more about how Neighboring Rights fits into the world of royalty collections and bring any questions you may have for our experts on hand.
Guest Speakers:
Darcie Molina, VP of Client Relations for Kollective Neighbouring Rights, has worked in Neighbouring Rights for 7 years, managing the KNR Client Relations team and helping performers, labels, and their teams understand this complex area of the music business and maximize their earnings. Prior to working in the music industry she managed teams and client relations in the special education sector for 15 years.

Darcie Molina
Ryan Lehning is Assistant General Counsel, International at SoundExchange, responsible for international activities on behalf of the company’s member artists and labels. Prior to joining SoundExchange, Ryan served as counsel with SONY BMG Music Entertainment in New York where he handled copyright, trademark, e-commerce, new media, and other intellectual property matters. Prior to SONY BMG, Ryan was an associate in the law firm of Smith & Metalitz LLP in Washington DC where his practice focused on domestic and international copyright matters for a diverse portfolio of clients in the music, film, television, software, and book publishing industries. In addition, Ryan served as counsel for the Coalition on Online Accountability, a group working to ensure the enforcement of copyright protection in the online world. Ryan is a graduate of Georgetown University Law Center (2002) and Belmont University (1997).

Ryan Lehning

Society members must be in good standing and registered prior to the meeting in order to attend. Contact copyrightsocietyofthesouth@gmail.com if you have not received your invitation via email.
