Copyright Society of the South

August Mixer!
2025-08-27 17:00 - 18:30 (America/Chicago) | TN
Members, unwind and connect at our August Mixer! Bring a colleague to learn more about membership in the Society! Beverages and Light Bites will be available.
RSVP is required – cutoff date is August 25, 2025.

****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 .**

How Citrin Cooperman Conducts Its Music Valuation Cases - September 18, 2025 - CLE Credit Available
2025-09-18 11:30 - 13:00
Join us for an exclusive, in-depth discussion and opportunity to gain a competitive edge by understanding the intricacies of music catalogue valuation directly from the experts at Citrin Cooperman. Don’t miss this chance to fine-tune your expertise and master the complex dynamics of music valuation. This is a CLE approved event for Tennessee attorneys. RSVP today to secure your spot!
$75 CLE guest fee | $35 Non-CLE guest fee | Active Society members attend free
Barry Massarsky
Barry Massarsky is a partner and co-leader of the firm’s Music Economics and Valuation Services Practice. He has over 30 years of experience acting as a key advisor in the music industry serving the valuation interests of music publishing and recording label firms. He provides strategic counsel to owners of music copyrights, as well as valuation, litigation economics, and performance income review. Barry is known for his high value relationships with performance rights organizations, music publishers, record companies, music industry trade organizations, and music litigation firms.
Barry has pioneered the field of music copyright economics serving revenue-related interests within the U.S. music industry, facilitating strategic opportunities for advancing royalty income, and inspiring new license regimes. His experience also extends to the music production library marketplace where he has led many performing rights initiatives on behalf of both its trade organization and individual market leaders. Barry has worked with commercial lenders, private equity, and other financial investors who are acquiring music asset rights. Previously, Barry was the founder of Massarsky Consulting, a leading copyright economics consultancy, which joined Citrin Cooperman in 2022. Prior to founding Massarsky Consulting, Barry was a Senior Economist at American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP).

Elon Altman

Elon Altman is a Director of Music & Entertainment Valuation Services with 20 years of experience in performance income review and forecasting, music copyright litigation economics, music licensing, production music libraries, and valuations of music publishing and recorded music catalogs. He works closely with a wide range of the major and independent music publishers, music industry trade organizations, and private equity firms investing in music.
A particular focus in Elon’s work is on the forecasting of PRO income for individual songs and catalogs, based around his detailed modeling of PRO radio and streaming rates and bonuses. Elon also has extensive knowledge in the space of music for film and television. Working with production library clients, he has conducted operational audits of payments for the music used within television programs and advised on the best network opportunities for high value music placements. Elon has also conducted many valuations of TV and Film music catalogs.
Outside of music, Elon is the lead of the new Film & TV Valuation division of the Music & Entertainment Valuation Services group at Citrin Cooperman. Film & TV Valuation focuses on “participation rights” — essentially the share of net profits that high-end talent receives from their film & TV projects. Similar to music catalogs, there is a market of funds that buy these rights. Elon’s experience in the music industry began in 2005, where he spent 17 years at Massarsky Consulting as Senior Economist before joining Citrin Cooperman in 2022.

****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 Art and Science of Public Performance Music Licensing: A Discussion with U.S. PROs - CLE Credit Available
2025-10-01 11:30 - 13:00
Our October luncheon event will feature a comprehensive discussion on the complex and evolving world of public performance copyright licensing.
Featured Speakers
Gain direct insight from leaders from the following U.S. performing rights organizations (PROs):

Alex Grout (Senior Vice President, Membership and Business & Legal Affairs, ASCAP)
David Schneider (Vice President, Distribution and Administration Services, BMI)
Reid Alan Waltz (Senior Vice President & Counsel, Legal & Business Affairs, SESAC)
Moderator: Kent Draughon (SVP of Publishing Administration and Operations, Capitol CMG Publishing)

Alex Grout
David Schneider
Reid Alan Waltz
Kent Draughon
A wide range of critical topics are scheduled to be discussed, including:

PRO Operations and Data Management: Learn about the intricate process of matching musical compositions to sound recordings, the growing role of ISRCs, and how co-publisher works are managed.
Global Rights and Reciprocity: Understand the crucial reciprocal agreements that ensure U.S. creators are paid for performances abroad and how PROs navigate a global licensing landscape.
Market Trends and Genres: Explore the commercial dynamics of musical genres, including which are the most profitable, which present unique challenges, and how digital streaming is changing genre popularity.

This is a unique opportunity to directly engage with experts at the forefront of the public performance music licensing industry. Don’t miss this chance to deepen your understanding of rights management, data tracking, and global copyright frameworks.

****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 .***

What Litigators Wish Publishers Knew: Ethical Issues Involving the Law of Music Publishing - CLE Credit Available
2025-11-12 11:30 - 13:00
Guest Speakers: Tim Warnock and Megan Pekar
Loeb & Loeb, LLP

1.0 CLE Credit Hours will be available (Dual) – Tennessee Bar Number required.
In the dynamic world of music and intellectual property, staying ahead of complex ethical dilemmas and cutting-edge litigation is essential. This specialized CLE will provide attorneys with actionable insights into the most pressing legal and ethical challenges facing litigators, advisors, advocates, and negotiators in music publishing today.
Gain a sophisticated understanding of the ethical and practical issues underpinning music publishing litigation, including:
-The Advisor Role
-The Advocate’s Challenge: AI and Copyright Infringement
-The Negotiator’s Ethical Tightrope: Conflicts of Interest
-The Evaluator and AI Authorship
Don’t miss this opportunity to refine your strategy, mitigate risk, and competently advise your clients on the most critical ethical and legal developments in music and technology.
RSVP Today to secure your spot and gain an essential edge in your practice.

****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 Annual Copyright Review With Stan Soocher
2025-12-11 11:30 - 13:00
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.
Stan 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 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.
Among the many media outlets who have interviewed Stan about entertainment industry issues are the Associated Press, National Public Radio, CNN, Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, New York Daily News, The New York Post, Miami Herald, Washington Post, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Chicago Tribune, Denver Post, Salt Lake Tribune, Entertainment Weekly, The Wall Street Journal, Variety, London Times and BBC-TV.
For many years, Stan covered the federal appeals courts in a weekly section for The National Law Journal. Early in his career, he worked as a reporter and associate editor for the rock music magazine Circus.
In recent years, Stan’s articles also have been published in such media outlets as the cover of the American Bar Association Journal, and in Law.com, The New York Law Journal, Daily Report (Atlanta), American Lawyer, The Recorder (California), Intellectual Property Strategist, Daily Business Review (Florida), Legal Week (UK), Connecticut Law Tribune and Inside Counsel.
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.

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 .

AI Guardrails and the "Four P's"
2026-02-04 11:30 - 13:00
As Generative AI models move from novelty to market competitors, the music industry faces an existential crisis regarding the unauthorized ingestion of copyrighted works. This lecture, presented by the leadership of the Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI), explores the “AI Guardrails.” The discussion will provide a deep dive into the “Four P’s” framework—a legislative and industry standard designed to ensure that the transition to an AI-driven economy does not come at the expense of creators’ intellectual property rights.
Bart Herbison, Guest Speaker
A Paris, Tenn., 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 then served as Press Secretary, Campaign Manager and Chief Tennessee Administrative Officer for U.S. Rep. Bob Clement (Nashville) in from 1988-1997 when he left DC’s Capitol Hill for Music Row.
Herbison is Executive Director of the Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI), the world’s largest not-for-profit songwriters trade organization and advocacy group. Established in 1967, NSAI’s membership spans the United States and several other countries. With nearly one hundred chapters, they serve 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:
• Adoption of the “Music Modernization Act” in 2018, the most important copyright law reform for songwriters in decades.
• Creation of the Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC) of which he is a board member.
• Led NSAI’s involvement in the 2016 Copyright Royalty Board (CRB) trial that led to a 44% mechanical royalty increase for American songwriters, the largest in history.
• 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. In 2020 the Los Angeles Chapter of the Assn. of Independent Music Publishers (AIMP) recognized Bart for his advocacy work and in 2021 he received the “Arnold Broido Award” for Copyright
Advocacy from the Music Publishers Assn. (MPA). In 2023 Bart was bestowed the prestigious “Bob Kingsley Living Legend Award” to benefit the Grand Old 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.

Jennifer Turnbow, Guest Speaker
Jennifer Turnbow is Chief Operating Officer for the Nashville Songwriters Association International, Festival Director for the Tin Pan South Songwriters Festival and Executive Producer of the Nashville Songwriter Awards. She also serves as financial officer for the Bluebird Cafe. As COO, she is responsible for oversight on all aspects of the organization’s mission and is a legislative advocate for songwriters.
NSAI is 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 seven other countries. With over 100 chapters, NSAI is dedicated to protecting songwriters’ rights and serves aspiring and professional songwriters in all genres of music.
An Aberdeen, Ohio, native, Jennifer is a 2001 graduate of St. Patrick’s High School in Maysville, Kentucky, and a 2005 graduate of Vanderbilt University with a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics. Jennifer assumed the position of Finance Director with NSAI immediately following graduation from Vanderbilt and has been with the organization since then in various roles to her ultimate position today. She is a Leadership Music alum (Class of 2016) and an active member of SOURCE and Junior Service League of Sumner County. Jennifer and her husband Troy currently reside in Hendersonville with their daughter Kyla and dog Luna.

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 .

Congress Built a Do-Over: Copyright Grant Terminations and Author Recapture Rights
2026-03-25 11:30 - 13:00
Many creators and practitioners believe that once a copyright is signed away, it’s gone for good. But the Copyright Act tells a different story. Hidden within the law is a powerful “second chance” mechanism: the statutory right to terminate prior transfers and recapture ownership.
Whether you are representing authors or managing portfolios, understanding these termination rights is essential for navigating the modern IP landscape. Join us for an insightful deep dive presented by attorney Linda Edell Howard into the mechanics of taking back what was once given away.

Linda Edell Howard is affectionately known as the “Mama Mafia” because of her decades of almost ruthless representation of client interests to attain legacy preservation, financial growth, and avenge the historical inequities inherent in the power-base of the entertainment industry. She is recognized as a preeminent Intellectual Property expert, specializing in the field of global copyright protection and enforcement. With over 40 years of experience in television, film, music, and new media law, social media transactions and emerging technologies, Linda guides her clients to implement successful growth and monetization strategies. Her knowledge in the field of copyright recapture is unsurpassed. Her deep network of highly regarded industry leaders and clients include songwriters with some of the biggest songs in recorded music history. As an attorney, she has helped clients protect and monetize the copyrights for 100s of musical works.
Linda also advises numerous key industry executives, business entrepreneurs, personalities, influencers, brands, innovators, thought leaders, independent music publishers, songwriters, recording artists, producers, social media celebrities, record labels and related industry players such as banks, unions, inventors and investors.
After Law School, she was appointed to the prestigious judicial clerkship with the New Jersey Supreme Court and then practiced law where she was counsel to the Estates of George Gershwin and Elvis Presley. She later joined PolyGram Music Publishing Group as Vice President of Operations, and then was a partner in the Nashville office of Loeb & Loeb before establishing the Entertainment and New Media division at Adams and Reese. In order to bring her entrepreneurial spirit and the most value and vigilance to her clients and business associates, in early 2021, Linda branched out on her own to align her talents to her highest and greatest strengths with Edell Howard Enterprises. She embraces and attacks difficult problems and road blocks with a stringent “can do” philosophy.
She is a featured “Super Lawyer” and has been awarded the title of “Leader in Their Field” and a “Woman of Influence,” and was named among the “brightest and most successful entertainment lawyers” by HITS magazine. Linda has also been featured in articles in Rolling Stone, The Hollywood Reporter and The Los Angeles Times. She serves on the Advisory Board for the Creative Community for Peace, the Board of Directors for Music Health Alliance, Ordinary Hero Foundation and the Foundation for Families of Late Talking Children, and is a Master of the Nashville Entertainment and IP Inn of Court. She is an alumnus of Leadership Music, and a member of the Country Music Association, and National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences.

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 .
