An interview with Gary Hertz and Steve Schnur - April 21, 2020 (Webinar)
2020-04-21 11:30 - 12:15 (America/Chicago) | 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!***

May 23, 2023 - Living with AI, IP & Music in the Better-Best of Times
2023-05-23 11:30 - 13:00 | TN
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 .***

The TEC: Opportunities for Creators and IP Stakeholders in Tennessee
2023-10-18 11:30 - 13:00 | TN
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 .***

Restoring Trust in the Age of AI, Rights of Publicity and Copyright - February 26, 2025
2025-02-26 11:30 - 13:00 | TN
The Copyright Society of the South is pleased to present a panel with industry leaders discussing how to address the verification, use and compensation of video, audio and images that includes an individual’s voice, identity, name, image and likeness via the platform ViNIL. ViNIL’s founders Charles Alexander, Jeremy Brook, and Sada Garba will discuss how to best use the platform to facilitate commercial and creative celebrity engagement with a unique digital certificate and tracking system to assure commercial markets and the public authenticity and authorization of content. McGlinchey Stafford Of Counsel and longtime CSoS member Hillel Frankel joins the panel to discuss how the use of AI in artistic creations as launched major rights questions across the artist spectrum and how creative industries and artists must keep pace to address issues of misappropriation and infringement that threaten artistic control and the integrity of their artistic persona and creations.
CLE Credit is available for Tennessee attorneys at this event. There is a $75.00 fee for non-members. If you would like attend this event as a guest you must pre-register by February 21, 2025. Contact copyrightsocietyofthesouth@gmail.com for more information.

Charles Alexander
Jeremy Brook
Sada Garba
Hillel Frankel

The Songwriter’s Cut: Understanding Publishing Deals in the Streaming Era - April 30, 2025 (Date Change)
2025-04-30 11:30 | TN
This panel will provide a critical analysis of the evolving landscape of songwriter agreements, equipping practitioners with the tools to effectively represent clients in today’s dynamic music publishing market. We will delve into the legal ramifications of shifting revenue streams, digital rights management, and streaming royalties, examining how these changes impact contract terms, including advances, recoupment, and ownership rights. Attendees will gain strategic insights into negotiating favorable agreements for songwriters, maximizing their earnings and safeguarding their creative control in an increasingly complex industry.
A CLE Credit of 1.0 hour is available to Tennessee attorneys who attend this event. If you are not a Society attorney member and would like to attend this event for CLE credit you are welcome! A $75 guest fee will apply and must be paid at the door. Please contact copyrightsocietyofthesouth@gmail.com to register before April 20, 2025.

Moderator
Lauren Spahn | Shareholder, Buchalter
As Shareholder in the Nashville office of Buchalter and Co-Chair of Buchalter’s Entertainment Industry Group. Lauren Spahn represents the legal and business interests of artists, songwriters, publishers, talent buyers, executives, record labels, technology companies, and other entertainment industry clients. Lauren has been recognized by Billboard as one of the “Top Music Lawyers” for the past 3 years and is regularly featured in MusicRow Magazine’s “In Charge” in the entertainment business. She is a member of the Leadership Music Class of 2019 and currently serves as Legal Counsel for the Women in Music Business Association. Lauren holds a Masters in Music Business and Entertainment Industries and Juris Doctorate from the University of Miami.

Don Glista | VP/Business Affairs & Creative Affairs, Universal Music Publishing Group
Don Glista’s music career began in 2010 after completing a master’s degree in London. He started working with the Music Publishers Association, XL Talent/Reverb Music Publishing (a London based independent producer/writer management/publishing company), and assisting UK Music with relevant legal issues affecting the British music industry. He was hired into UMPG’s London’s office in 2011 and then relocated to UMPG’s Nashville office in 2020. As VP in the Business Affairs department, he works closely with the London, LA, and NY offices, while also overseeing all of the Nashville signings. Additionally, he works with UMPG Classics & Screens which administers and publishes UMPG’s classical and film composers. In addition to his role in Business Affairs, he also has a passion for going to live shows and helps find new talent as part of his creative role at UMPG.

Joshua Hefner | Partner, Mark Music & Media Law, P.C.
Joshua Hefner’s practice focuses on contractual issues surrounding all facets of the music industry. Prior to Mark MML, Joshua worked for nearly six years at Serling Rooks Hunter McKoy Worob & Averill LLP, honing his skills on negotiation and transactional matters and advising on both high-profile and new artist projects. As a former major label recording artist and touring musician himself, Joshua has an understanding and appreciation of the issues faced by artists in today’s music industry. His unique perspective allows him to play an active and important role in the growth of his clients’ careers. Joshua graduated magna cum laude from Loyola University New Orleans, College of Law in 2016 with an emphasis on intellectual property, technology, and entrepreneurship. He lives in Nashville, TN and is a member of both the Louisiana Bar and the Tennessee Bar.

John Ozier | Executive Vice President/Creative, Reservoir Music Group
John Ozier heads the company’s Nashville office, which he helped launch in 2019. Under his leadership, the location has become a thriving music office, with a team of six, plus several writing rooms on site utilized by the Reservoir roster and others. Ozier serves on the senior management team of Reservoir, which celebrated its third year as a publicly traded company in 2024. His reputation has helped Reservoir solidify deals with some of country music’s most legendary names, while his keen ear has identified and fostered the growth of its up-and-coming songwriters. In addition, Ozier has established himself as a key player in the industry, having previously served as the National Chair of the Association of Independent Music Publishers (AIMP) for two years, and as the Nashville Chapter Head and President for eight years. Ozier continues to serve on the Board of the Nashville Chapter. Over the last 18 months Ozier’s signings contributed to seven Hot 100 tracks and 20 Billboard 200 Albums, including 12 #1s across all Billboard charts. Chart positions are just one metric demonstrating Ozier’s tastemaker status. His signings across the last year and a half have also garnered impressive industry recognition, with countless nominations and award wins across several industry ceremonies.

**** If you are interested in becoming a member of the Copyright Society of the South, or would like additional information, contact us at copyrightsocietyofthesouth@gmail.com .***
