Compulsory Licenses and Online Music
Online music service royalties have become one of the hot topics of the day--from the debate over interactive streaming payouts from services like Spotify to online radio royalties paid by Pandora or the new iTunes Radio. All of this controversy raises broader questions about the role of "compulsory licenses"--licenses set by law--in the music business today.Learn about the advantages or disadvantages of compulsory licenses and the potential for the role of compulsory licenses to the future of the online music business.
Presenters
Jodie Griffin
Staff Atty
Public Knowledge
Jodie Griffin is a Senior Staff Attorney at Public Knowledge. Jodie specializes in telecommunications and copyright law, advocating on issues that range from online music licensing to the technological transition of our phone network. She holds a J.D. from the George Washington University Law School. Before law school, Jodie worked in the music industry for groups like the independent label BMOP/sound and the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and as a freelance cellist.
Greg Barnes
General Counsel & Dir of Governmental Affairs
Digital Media Association
Gregory Alan Barnes currently serves as General Counsel to the Digital Media Association. DiMA is a trade association that represents the interests of several digital music and video service providers on a wide range of issues, including matters pertaining to copyright licensing, online competition, privacy, the taxation of digital media, and broadband deployment. Some of DiMA’s more prominent members include companies such as Apple’s iTunes, Microsoft, Rhapsody, Real Networks, Slacker Radio, Amazon, and Google. Prior to joining DiMA, Mr. Barnes served for seven years as counsel to U.S Rep. John Conyers, Jr on the House Judiciary Committee. In that capacity, he primarily focused on intellectual property, crime and terrorism related matters.
Prior to his tenure with the committee, Mr. Barnes served as Deputy Chief of Staff to Missouri Governor Bob Holden; and as an aide to several Members of Congress, including Representatives William Clay, Alan Wheat, and Bobby Scott.
Chris Harrison
Asst General Counsel
Pandora Media Inc
Chris is Assistant General Counsel for Pandora Media, Inc. (“Pandora”) where he focuses on Pandora’s music licensing issues. Prior to joining Pandora, Chris worked for commercial music service provider DMX, Inc. (“DMX”) where he held a number of positions, including General Counsel and Chief Operating Officer. While General Counsel, Chris led DMX’s successful efforts to obtain so-called adjustable fee blanket licenses from performing rights societies ASCAP and BMI, which licenses and associated fees were affirmed by the Second Circuit in 2011. As Chief Operating Officer, Chris was responsible for DMX’s day-to-day operating activities, including revenue and sales growth; expense, cost and margin control; and monthly, quarterly and annual financial goal attainment. With seven direct reports managing nearly 300 employees, Chris had primary responsibility for Brand Strategy, Human Resources, Operations and Supply Chain Management, Marketing, Sales, Customer Service and Account Management, Business Affairs and Licensing, and DMX’s Latin American operations. As COO, Chris led DMX’s implementation of the Pandora for Business commercial music service.
Kristelia Garcia
Visiting Assoc Professor
George Washington University Law School
Education
B.A., Columbia University; J.D., Yale University
Biographical Sketch
Professor García is a Visiting Associate Professor and the Frank H. Marks Fellow in Intellectual Property at George Washington University Law School. Her research is focused on the intersection of law and technology, especially as pertains to digital music and copyright.
Before coming to GW Law, Professor García worked in the music industry in Los Angeles; first at Quinn Emanuel where she served as outside counsel to Napster, then as Director of Business Development in charge of content licensing at MySpace Music, and most recently in digital strategy as Director at Universal Music Group. Prior to her work in music, Professor García was an Associate at Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz in New York.
Professor García graduated cum laude from Columbia University, where she received a B.A. in Economics and was the recipient of both a Kluge Scholarship and the King’s Crown Award for leadership in public service. Professor García attended Yale Law School, where she served as Editor-in-Chief of the Yale Journal for Law & Technology and was a co-founder of Yale Law School’s Student Animal Legal Defense Fund.
Casey Rae
Interim Exec Dir
Future of Music Coalition
Casey Rae is a musician, recording engineer, educator, journalist and media pundit, and the Interim Executive Director for Future of Music Coalition. Casey regularly speaks on issues such as new business models for artists, telecommunications policy and intellectual property at conferences, universities and in the media. He routinely works alongside leaders in the music, arts and performance sectors to bolster understanding of and engagement in key policy and technology issues, and has written dozens of articles on the impact of technology on the creative community. Casey is an adjunct professor at Georgetown University, and also serves on the Board of Directors of the Media & Democracy Coalition and the National Alliance for Media Arts and Culture. He currently records and publishes under the moniker The Contrarian and is the Grand Poobah of Lux Eterna Records.
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