At one time, our solution to the problem of piracy was to slow the rise of digital music; now because of the obstacles presented by the Lenz case, embracing the digital frontier may just be the answer to at least one piece of the piracy puzzle. This session will provide an in-depth look at the difficulties artists’ teams face in the days and weeks leading up to a high profile single and/or album release as they desperately try to keep pirates from destroying months of planning and preparation. This panel, made up of lawyers, record executives and artist managers, will discuss the legal and practical implications of the Lenz case—ahow it and the First Amendment are making the process of taking down leaked IP more and more difficult by the day, and the future of the digital-first release, including the costs and benefits of a streaming-driven music economy.

[Programming descriptions are generated by participants and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of SXSW.]