ACSBlog: The Blog of the American Constitution Society

Next Wednesday, May 2 in Washington, D.C., ACS and the Future of Music Coalition, will cohost an all-day event on music downloading, net neutrality, new radio technologies and other emerging intellectual property issues.  The event will bring together key stakeholders, including musicians, advocates, policymakers, technologists, academics and bloggers, with diverse views on these issues.  In addition to keynote addresses by Congressman Mike Doyle (D-PA) and David Carson, Associate Register for Policy and International Affairs, US Copyright Office, the event will also feature the following panels:

Radio Waves

In the past 10 years, satellite and internet radio have grown from basement hobbies to legitimate platforms for the delivery of music and news. But this growth has also brought new challenges, ranging from debates about content protection, to the public performance right, to how to manage the transition to HD radio. The attention to the issues has only increased recently, with webcasters negotiating with the Copyright Royalty Board over royalty rates, and XM and Sirius proposing a merger. Representatives from satellite and internet radio will join with artist and label representatives for a discussion about the challenges for both old and new radio platforms, and solutions that would benefit both technologists and the music community.

• Joe Kennedy CEO and President, Pandora
• Eric Logan Executive Vice President, Programming, XM Satellite Radio
• Patricia Polach Associate General Counsel, AFM, Bredhoff & Kaiser, PLLC
• Brian Zisk Cofounder and Technologies Director, Future of Music Coalition

The Net Effect

Congress is considering a series of bills designed to revise the telecommunications regulatory framework. One of the most heated debates surrounds the principle of network neutrality. Is this a solution in search of a problem, or do we need the government and the FCC to enforce rules that would preserve the open nature of the internet? This panel brings together advocates for both positions with internet based music service providers and policymakers to discuss the real world impact of net neutrality on musicians, labels and the public at large.

• Duncan Black (a.k.a Atrios), Blogger and Founder of Eschaton
• Michael Bracy Policy Director, Future of Music Coalition
• Parul Desai Assistant Director, Media Access Project
• Bertis Downs Advisor R.E.M, Athens LLC
• Victoria Phillips Asst. Director, Glushko-Samuelson Intellectual Property Clinic, Washington College of Law, American University

Stocking the Celestial Jukebox

For music fans, there are more choices than ever when it comes to discovering, listening to and purchasing music. There are stores like iTunes and eMusic, subscription services like Rhapsody and Napster. There are webcast stations, satellite radio, MP3 blogs and the ubiquitous MySpace. Despite the emergence of many models, challenges remain in the space, especially related to artist compensation and licensing parity among different platforms. What would make it easier for music services to license music, for consumers to access music, and for musicians, songwriters, and others in the content community to be paid? Experts from the music, technology and legal communities will discuss Section 115 reform, orphan works and other intellectual property issues.

• Fred Cannon Senior Vice President, Government Relations, BMI
• Julie E. Cohen Professor of Law, Georgetown University
• Steve Marks Vice President and General Counsel, RIAA
• Walter McDonough General Counsel, Future of Music Coalition
• Michael Petricone Senior Vice President, Government Affairs, CEA
• Jule Sigall Senior Attorney, Microsoft Corp.

The event will take place at the Economic Policy Institute, 1333 H St. NW, Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20005 (near the McPherson Square Metro stop).  To register, follow this link.