The Top Issues Facing Copyright (That’s NOT AI!) – 8/21/24
On August 21, 2024, the Copyright Society of the South welcomed panelists Kristina Johnson, Mike Molinar, Emily Stephenson, and Duff Berschback, who presented information and updates regarding the current landscape and concerns regarding copyright and IP. The CLE luncheon event was held for Society members and their guests at the CMA Event Room in Nashville, Tennessee.
Duff Berschback is the EVP of Legal and Business Affairs at Concord Music Publishing, LLC. He leads the team of lawyers and non-lawyer legal professionals in a variety of legal and business affairs matters, including contract negotiations, policy initiatives, litigation, and strategic publishing matters. He joined Concord in 2020. Prior to joining Concord, he was SVP Business Affairs at Sony Music Publishing in Nashville for 13 years. He began his career in entertainment law in 2001, working in private practice representing songwriters, publishers, producers, managers, and artists.
Kristina Johnson is the Senior Director of North American Copyright at Universal Music Publishing Group. In this role she oversees the U.S. and Canadian activity for Universal’s iconic catalog of 5 million copyrights as well as the end to end value chain of managing agreements signed out of the U.S. With thirteen years of copyright experience, she is driven to find creative solutions for improving music royalty collections in an ever-changing landscape. Kristina has been a primary stakeholder for building multiple proprietary copyright systems to adapt large scale data sets for modern requirements. A passionate leader and life-long learner, she is currently pursuing a Master’s in Organizational Leadership from the University of Colorado Boulder.
Mike Molinar is the President of Big Machine Music (BMM), where he brings over twenty-seven years of experience as a music publisher and advocate for creatives to lead Big Machine Music publishing, the sister company of the Big Machine Label Group. Molinar, who was named one of Billboard’s Country Power Players each of the last five years (‘20-‘24), oversees all aspects of BMM which was named 2021 Publisher of the Year by the Association of Independent Music Publishers Nashville.
Emily Stephenson serves as Downtown Music’s President of Publishing. Stephenson oversees all of Downtown’s publishing administration and client acquisition efforts, leading a team of 100+. Prior to her current role, Stephenson served as the division’s Vice President of Business Operations and during her 12+ year tenure at the company has been responsible for various aspects of publishing administration and client services. Downtown’s roster includes songwriter and publishing clients, including Spirit Music Group, Jason Isbell, Big Yellow Dog, and the John Lennon Estate.
Even though the topic of Generative AI’s impact on the music publishing industry is important, the industry is also being faced with several issues that are not specifically related to AI. Numerous items discussed included DDEX, statutory licensing, due diligence challenges, and split copyright sales/administration.
The Copyright Society of the South board of directors welcome its guest panelist to the August 21 Event L to R: Kent Draughon; John Barker; Emily Stephenson; Duff Berschback; Amanda Hruska; Mike Molinar; Tim Wipperman; Rick Marshall; Kristina Johnson; Aaron Hartley.
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. The Society also offers a scholarship awards program for students majoring in copyright-related fields.
Members are accepted into the organization by board vote. If you are interested in joining the Copyright Society of the South please email us at copyrightsocietyofthesouth@gmail.com . Please attach a PDF copy of your resume, CV, and/or bio in your email communication.
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