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Music Copyright Terminations – The Ticking Time Bomb Has Arrived

October 20, 2012

Thomas Jefferson School of Law, the Entertainment Law Society, in association with the Center for Law and Intellectual Property, present

Music Copyright Terminations:

The Ticking Time Bomb has Arrived

October 20, 2012, 11AM – 2PM, Room 325 Reception on the 8th floor after the event

The 1978 Copyright Act provides that artists can terminate and thereby regain copyrights assigned to record labels and music publishers after thirty-five years from the grant. The first case involved Village People composer Victor Willis, writer of the hit YMCA, and led to a federal district court terminating the publishers copyright grant. We will now see a tidal wave of music artists seeking to terminate copyrights now held by major record labels and music producers from the 1970’s era sound recordings and music publishers. This panel will explore whether the tick tock of copyright terminations sounds the death knell for record labels, or a liberty bell for artist’s rights.


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Download the event flyer


Produced by:  Professor KJ Greene

Moderators:  Professor Julie Cromer Young & Professor Jeff Slattery

Directed by:  Najmah Brown, TJSL 2013 & Camara Mathis, TJSL 2013

Special Guest (Pre-recorded):  Brian Caplan, Caplan & Ross, LLP and Attorney for former lead singer of the Village People

Speakers:  David Branfman, Branfman Law Group, P.C.; Lisa Cervantes, Cervantes Entertainment Law; Valerie A. Dearth, Lapidus, Root & Sacharow, LLP; Michael Hosington, Higgs, Fletcher & Mack LLP; Donald A. Jasko, Digital Economics, LLC; James Leach, SESAC; Lacy J Lodes, Consor Intellectual Asset Management; Steve Marks, RIAA. 


Register by October 17, 2012

Registration is closed

Admission is free for the conference and reception. There is a small fee for the MCLE. All attendees please register online for RSVP.


2.0 hours of MCLE* credit available

*Minimum Continuing Legal Education Credit

MCLE credit is available upon request. Thomas Jefferson School of Law is a State Bar of California approved MCLE provider. This program qualifies for Minimum Continuing Legal Education credit by the State Bar of California.

For MCLE:  $15 for TJSL Alumni, $25 for General Public.


Thomas Jefferson School of Law 1155 Island Avenue San Diego, CA 92101

Directions to TJSL

For additional information contact: Camara Mathis at mathisca@gapps.tjsl.edu.

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