That’s My Song: The World of Nashville Songwriters – May 13, 2026
The Copyright Society of the South’s May luncheon and lecture explored the intricate legal and financial realities of the commercial songwriting industry. Held on May 13, 2026, for Society members and their guests, the CLE event featured a presentation titled “That’s My Song: The World of Nashville Songwriters” by Joseph Fishman, a renowned attorney and professor of law at Vanderbilt University.
The lecture offered an inside look at Fishman’s forthcoming book, That’s My Song, which provides an in-depth examination of how songs are created and how creators are compensated in today’s market. Drawing from original interview data, Fishman detailed the daily working lives of Nashville songwriters, illuminating the critical revenue streams that sustain them. He also shed light on who songwriters perceive as their key allies and primary adversaries within the modern music ecosystem.
A leading expert on copyright and trade secrecy, Fishman’s work has been published in elite legal journals such as the Harvard Law Review, NYU Law Review, and the California Law Review. He is also a frequent commentator for major media outlets, including The New York Times, NPR, USA Today, and Billboard.
Before joining the Vanderbilt Law School faculty in 2015, Fishman was a Climenko Fellow and Lecturer in Law at Harvard Law School. He holds an A.B. magna cum laude from Harvard College with a joint major in music and religion, an M.Phil. in musicology from the University of Cambridge, and a J.D. cum laude from Harvard Law School.
His distinguished legal career includes clerkships for Judge Jeffrey R. Howard of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit and Judge Miriam Goldman Cedarbaum of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. Prior to entering academia, he practiced music industry litigation as an associate at Jenner & Block within the firm’s content, media, and entertainment group.
About The Copyright Society of the South
The Copyright Society of the South was formed in 1988 in Nashville, Tennessee, consisting of music publishers, attorneys, music industry personnel, and academicians interested in the field of copyright law. Its mission is to provide a forum for study and discussion of domestic and international copyright law and other matters pertaining to the entertainment industry. It provides seminars, speakers, presentations, and the opportunity to present various points of view on subjects of interest to the membership. The Society refrains from taking a lobbying role or endorsing or sponsoring political positions or candidates.
Members are accepted into the organization by board vote. If you are interested in joining the Copyright Society of the South please send an email with your resume/bio/CV to copyrightsocietyofthesouth@gmail.com .
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