CISAC launches the debate on the future of copyright with the first "Copyright Summit" to be held in Brussels

CISAC launches the debate on the future of copyright with the first "Copyright Summit" to be held in Brussels, 30-31 May 2007

To coincide with its participation in MIDEM 2007, CISAC (the International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers) announces its "Copyright Summit", the first international forum where all players from the cultural and NICT sectors are invited to debate the future of copyright. It will be held from 30-31 May 2007 at the Sheraton Hotel & Tower in Brussels (Belgium).The entertainment industry is currently in a state of extreme upheaval due to digitised works and their distribution over new media platforms. The different rights-owners will be forced to deal with the consequences of such developments, with creators directly in the line of fire. To accompany the sophisticated reflection that needs to be given to such changes, CISAC is inviting all those directly involved in copyright issues to express their views during its "Copyright Summit": creators and authors' societies, as well as music publishers and record companies, audiovisual producers and broadcasters, telecommunications operators and content service providers, hardware manufacturers and consumers, and also legal experts and key political decision-makers, both in Europe and all over the world.The main topics to be addressed during the summit are as follows:
How will works be created, produced and disseminated in the years to come?
What rights will creators have for their works in the 21st century?
How do copyright and authors' societies meet the needs of the digital society?
Time for a new deal between creators, entertainment industry and content providers?The diversity of the participating speakers at Brussels highlights the open spirit of this Summit and the relevance of the topic: Music legend Charles Aznavour; Michael Apted, film director and President of the Directors Guild of America; Ben Verwaayen, Chief Executive of British Telecom; Prof. Lawrence Lessig, Founder of Creative Commons; Billy Bragg, Bristish singer-songwriter; Glen Ballard, American producer and songwriter; Roger Faxon, President of EMI Music Publishing; Rich Lappenbusch, Director of Microsoft's Entertainment and Devices Division; Jean-François Cécillon, Chairman/CEO Continental Europe of EMI Music; Jean Reveillon, General Secretary of EBU; Tim Renner, Founder and CEO of Motor FM...The 2007 Summit's slogan, "Creators First", clearly illustrates CISAC's determination to focus the spotlight on the work of those at the heart and origin of the entire entertainment business and without whom there would not be any "content" to download: the creators."The decisions taken today will influence the economic models of tomorrow's world and the livelihood of rights-owners. The 2007 Summit will serve as the ideal platform for straight talking and open discussions between authors, their collective management societies and the different parties involved in the value chain of the cultural industries, not to forget the political decision-makers and regulators. At a time marked by massive changes in the way people access culture, as well as the unprecedented worldwide craving for intellectual works, it lies in the common interest to find win-win solutions for everyone, and the quicker, the better," said Eric Baptiste, Director General of CISAC.About CISAC (the International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers)CISAC, serving authors worldwideCISAC, the International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers, aims at increasing both the recognition and protection of creators' rights worldwide. In a global and digital world, CISAC's main missions are to reinforce the international network of copyright societies, to be their spokesperson in all international debates and to reassert authors' inalienable right to live off their creative work. With a membership of 217 authors' societies in 114 countries, CISAC represents more than 2.5 million creators and editors of artistic works in all genres including music, drama, literature, audiovisual, photography and the visual arts,. Founded in 1926, CISAC is a non-governmental, non-for-profit organisation. Its worldwide headquarters are in France, with regional offices in Budapest, Buenos Aires, Johannesburg and Singapore.http://www.cisac.com/web%5CContent.nsf/www.cisac.orghttp://www.cisac.com/web%5CContent.nsf/www.copyrightsummit.com


Speaker Biographies
Nikesh Arora, Vice President of European Operations, Google (UK) As Vice President of European Operations, Nikesh Arora manages and develops Google's operations in the European market. He is responsible for creating and expanding strategic partnerships in Europe for the benefit of Google's growing number of users and advertisers. With a background as an analyst, Nikesh's main areas of focus have been consulting, IT, marketing and finance. Prior to joining Google, he was Chief Marketing Officer and a Member of the Management Board at T-Mobile. While there he spearheaded all product development, terminals, brand and marketing activities of T-Mobile Europe. In 1999 he started working with Deutsche Telekom and founded T-Motion PLC, a mobile multimedia subsidiary of T-Mobile International. Prior to joining Deutsche Telekom, Nikesh held management positions at Putnam Investments and Fidelity Investments in Boston. Nikesh holds an MS and CFA certification from Boston College, and an MBA from Northeastern University, all of which were awarded with distinction. He has served on the Adjunct Faculty at both Boston College and Northeastern University, developing and teaching courses in business turnarounds, corporate workouts and financial management. In 1989, Nikesh graduated from the Institute of Technology in Varanasi, India with a Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering.
Google's innovative search technologies connect millions of people around the world with information every day. Founded in 1998 by Stanford Ph.D. students Larry Page and Sergey Brin, Google today is a top web property in all major global markets. Google's targeted advertising program provides businesses of all sizes with measurable results, while enhancing the overall web experience for users. Google is headquartered in Silicon Valley with offices throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia. For more information, visit www.google.co.uk. Google is a registered trademark of Google Inc. All other company and product names may be trademarks of the respective companies with which they are associated.

Charles Aznavour, Singer, Songwriter and Actor (France) Charles AZNAVOUR, who with the recent death of Frank Sinatra is the last of the great legend and was recently named by TIME Magazine and CNN 100 Online Poll as the Entertainer of the Century. Born in Paris of Armenian parents, he made his stage debut, dancing and acting, at age nine, and except for a period during World War II when he hawked newspapers on Paris' boulevards (and developed the famous "grenouille" in his throat) he has never been offstage since. His first song "J'ai bu" (I drank) won the Record of the Year Award. His songs continue, success upon success, and many of the world's greatest singers have recorded and performed his music, including Edith Piaf, Maurice Chevalier, Bing Crosby, Ray Charles, Shirley Bassey, Fred Astaire, Liza Minnelli, and many other stars. His first screen role in "La Tête contre les murs" (Head against the walls) won the Crystal Star Award, a French equivalent of the "Oscars", and preceded sixty other roles in films such as "Shoot the Piano Player", "Tomorrow is my turn", "Taxi for Tobrouk", "The Devil and the Ten Commandments", "The Adventurers", "The Tin Drum", "The Truth about Charlie" and "Ararat". Although his triumphs are now legendary, stardom evaded Charles Aznavour until he was thirty years old. It was not until he appeared on stage in a Casablanca Vaudeville house, following an almost fatal car accident that he became a star. "I caught on" says the man who repeated the triumph at Paris' Alhambra Theatre so that a French critic reported "France has been Aznavouried". His first Broadway engagement inspired Walter Kerr to write "Charles Aznavour is as vibrant as five Beatles" and Time Magazine to report "Aznavour is the perfect salesman for his own work; his words are the pleas of any poor devil, sung in the poor devil's voice". Aznavour himself says "My face is the face of anybody". Unlike many other songwriters, he insists upon many of his lyrics being translated into the language of the country in which he is performing. He sings with a voice which the French describe as "Après l'Amour". In 1988, following the devastating earthquake in Armenia, he founded with Lévon Sayan the movement "Aznavour for Armenia" and 89 artists joined him to record "For you Armenia" to raise relief funds, and the record was at the top of the charts within one week, remaining there for sales to quickly top two million records in France alone. Since 1975 when he wrote the song "They fell" in remembrance of the Armenian victims of the genocide during World War I, he has been actively supporting the cause of Armenia. Charles Aznavour was also promoted during the last 5 years by the French President, Jacques Chirac, to the rank of "Commander of the Legion of Honour" and "Commander of the National Order of Merit". These two distinctions are the highest ones in France.

Patrick Attallah, Managing Director, ISAN International Agency (Switzerland) Patrick Attallah is the Chief Executive Officer of ISAN International Agency for the last three years. Since he joined, he has been very active promoting ISAN to the audiovisual industry, partnering with many well known media content organizations in the world such as the Motion Picture Association of America, Microsoft, the Australian Film Finance Corporation and most of the Authors and Producers associations in Europe. Patrick has an extensive business experience in both Europe and the USA, with more than 15 years in business development, consulting and top management roles. His background includes in-depth knowledge in IT, media and telecommunications.
As audiovisual distribution channels grow, media content libraries become increasingly complex and new forms of broadcasting and consumption of films, television programs, games and commercials emerge; there exists a clear and present need for a reliable method to uniquely identify audiovisual content globally. The ISAN audiovisual metadata tag is recommended or required as the identification and metadata system of choice for studios, producers, broadcasters, authors, right owners and internet service providers who need to encode, track and distribute video content in a variety of formats. The ISAN (ISO 15706) is a numbering system for the identification of audiovisual works. ISAN provides a unique, internationally recognized and permanent reference number for each audiovisual content registered.
Glen Ballard, Producer/Songwrited and Arranger (USA) Over a career that spans two decades and accounts for 150 million albums sold, Glen Ballard has demonstrated extraordinary composing and production prowess. He has worked with Alanis Morrissette, Aerosmith, the Dave Matthews Band, No Doubt, Christina Aguilera, Van Halen and, earlier in his career, with Quincy Jones, Barbra Steisand and Michael Jackson, among many more. Ballard's resume includes six Grammys in a wide range of categories, and has also been awarded Songwriter Of The Year honors from both ASCAP and National Association of Songwriters. He has also contributed original film soundtrack compositions for Robert Zemeckis' The Polar Express in close collaboration with Alan Silvestri, which won him both Oscar and Golden Globe nominations along with a 2005 Best Song Grammy for "Believe," performed by Josh Groban. Other high-profile film projects for Ballard include the upcoming Beowulf, which reunites him with Zemeckis and Silvestri , and music for the much-anticipated film version of the children's classic, Charlotte's Web.

Ventura Barba, Director Legal & Business Affairs, Yahoo! Music International (Spain) Ventura Barba has worked at Yahoo! since January 2000. Until 2002 he lead the General Counsel for Yahoo! Spain and now is the Director of the Legal and Business Affairs Department of Yahoo! Music Europe, making him responsible not only for Europe but also other markets outside the US. Before joining Yahoo!, Ventura worked for BMG Music Spain & Portugal (a Bertelsmann company), as Director of the Legal and Business Affairs Department both for the record and publishing departments. Before that, he worked as a solicitor in Enrich Law Firm where he was head of the New Technologies and Entertainment department. He also worked at the Spanish Authors Collecting Society (SGAE) and in the Movie Industry for the Los Angeles (CA) based company ARENAS GROUP. Ventura has a degree in Law from the University of Barcelona and an MBA in Cultural Enterprises Management from the University of Madrid. He is an active EDiMA (European Digital Media Association) board member, and professor of several masters on Copyright, Music and New Technology Law on the Instituto de Empresa, ICADE, and Universitat Pompeu Fabra. Ventura is also co-director of the Music Industry Management Course at the Universitat Pompeu Fabra in Barcelona.
Yahoo! was founded in 1994 by Stanford Ph.D. students David Filo and Jerry Yang. It began as a hobby and has evolved into a global brand that has changed the way people communicate with each other, conduct transactions and access, share, and create information. Today, led by an executive team that includes Chairman and CEO Terry Semel, Head of the Advertiser & Publisher Group and acting Chief Financial Officer Susan Decker, Chief Technology Officer Farzad Nazem, and Co-Founders/Chief Yahoos Jerry Yang and David Filo, Yahoo! Inc. has become the world's largest global online network of integrated services. Yahoo! is a leading Internet brand globally and the most trafficked Internet destination worldwide. The company is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, with offices around the globe. Yahoo! Music Europe offers users the most comprehensive music-related content, features and information available online. It provides, a wide selection of streaming audio, the Web's largest collection of music videos, internet radio, exclusive artist features and music news - all for free.
Eduardo Bautista, Chairman of the Board of Directors, SGAE (Spain) Eduardo Bautista is Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Sociedad General de Autores y Editores (SGAE). In his activity as a copyright manager, it is to be highlighted the deep transformation that he has conducted in that society. Mr Bautista is also member of the Board of Trustees of Berklee College of Music (Boston, USA). President of the Academia de las Artes y Ciencias de la Música, member of CISAC Board Director's (International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers), member of BIEM Board Director's (the international organisation representing mechanical rights societies), Vice-president of the European Group Society Authors and Composers (GESAC), Vice-president of Latinautor and President of the Spanish Coalition for the Cultural Diversity. Eduardo Bautista García played a significant role in the music life of the sixties and seventies in Spain. Equally is one of the Member of the Board of Fast Track.
SGAE, Sociedad General de Autores y Editores, is a collective management entity devoted to the management and defense of intellectual property rights of its more than 88,000 members (cinema directors, screenwriters, composers of all genres, playwrights, librettist, choreographers etc.). SGAE's repertory covers more than five million dramatic and choreographic works, all genres (symphonic, jazz, pop, rock, flamenco…) of musical compositions and audiovisuals (feature films, short films, documentary film, television series, etc.). The authors register their creations with the Society and they become a part of SGAE's protected and managed repertory, constituting its true intellectual capital. The Society has 13 offices and a 200 national representative network; it has its own delegations in Argentina, Brazil, Cuba, China, Japan, Mexico and the USA. It is a leading entity of Latin repertory and holds representation agreements with 1 5 0 societies worldwide. SGAE is the first worldwide authors society to have been granted, by the international competency organization the quality certificates for management procedures (ISO-9002) and to the continuation improvement process of implementation (ISO 9001 - 2000, in 2001).
Benjamin Bejbaum, Co-Founder & CEO, DailyMotion (France)
Yves Bigot, Programme Director, RTBF (Belgium)
Jens-Peter Bonde, Member of the European Parliament (Denmark)
Jens-Peter Bonde was born March 27, 1948 in Aabenraa in the South of Denmark. Jens-Peter Bonde has been a Member of the European Parliament since 1979. Today Jens-Peter Bonde represents the Danish JuneMovement, a Eurorealistic organisation proposing transparency, proximity and democracy for Europe. Bonde chair the IND/DEM group who are working for indenpendence and democracy in the EU and is also co-chairman of the SOS Democracy Intergroup and founding member of the EU Democrats. In the European Parliament:
1979: Member of the Parliament at the first election.
1991: Co-founder of "Denmark '92".
1992: Co-founder of the "JuneMovement".
1999: Chairman of the EDD-Group - Europe of Democracies and Diversities.
2004: Chairman of the IND/DEM-Group - Independence and Democracy Group. Works:
Jens-Peter Bonde is the author of 55 books written in Danish and five in English.
The latest book is a readerfriendly edition of the proposed EU-Constitution
Billy Bragg, Singer/Songwriter (UK) Billy Bragg was recently described by The Times newspaper as a 'national treasure'. In the two decades of his career Bragg has certainly made an indelible mark on the conscience of British music, becoming perhaps the most stalwart guardian of the radical dissenting tradition that stretches back over centuries of the country's political, cultural and social history. Bragg was born in December 1957 and has released over ten albums during his long career. 8 of his albums were re-released last year as Box Sets and his book "The Progressive Patriot" has just been released in paperback.
Paul Brindley, Managing Director, MusicAlly (UK) Paul Brindley is the co-founder and managing director of MusicAlly, the leading London-based digital music research consultancy. With a background as a musician he played bass guitar with The Sundays from 1988 to 1998. As a freelance writer and research consultant, he wrote New Musical Entrepreneurs, a report into the impact of new technology on the UK music industry, for the prestigious Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) think-tank in March 2000. During the same period he was invited onto a Government committee to produce the Consumers Call The Tune report; and in 2003 he co-authored Make or Break, a report looking at the case for setting up a UK music export office in New York.
Music Ally is Europe's leading digital music research and strategy company. Founded in 2000, the company has developed an unrivalled understanding of the digital space supported by its extensive network of contacts across the industry. There are four core components to Music Ally's business: strategy advice, business and consumer research, publications and events. The team of analysts has a long-standing and direct experience of working within the music industry, covering all fields of insight from social networking to p2p, to licensing issues, to mobile music and online marketing. For more information see www.MusicAlly.com and www.theleadingquestion.com.

Professor Christian Bruhn, Composer, President of CISAC and Chairman of GEMA (Germany) Born in Wentorf near Hamburg on 17th October 1934. The Composer created over two thousand melodies along with about one hundred pieces of music for commercials and 100 children's songs. His many music compositions for television - some of which have gained cult status are still a source of inspiration today for young-minded music fans aged from 13 to 63. In 1981, the busy composer joined the Board of Supervisors of GEMA, and uses his rich fund of experience to safeguard the interests of his colleagues. He was appointed their Chairman of the Board of Supervisors in 1991 and an honorary member in 2003. In 1993 he was awarded the Paul Lincke Ring and this was followed by many other distinctions. In 2002 he was made a professor and appointed President of CISAC.
In Germany, GEMA administers the copyrights of more than 60,000 members (composers, lyricists and music publishers) as well as those of over 1 million rights owners from all corners of the world. With an income of EUR 874 million (in the 2006 financial year) it is one of the world's largest authors' societies for works of music. GEMA offers its customers the worldwide repertoire of music and provides comprehensive and attractive services for all music authors and rights owners. With its sister societies and other partners, GEMA follows actively the music markets and has developed new forms of economic cooperation.
Del R. Bryant, President & CEO, BMI (USA) Del R. Bryant is President & Chief Executive Officer of BMI, the American performing right organization. He is a member of the CISAC Board of Directors and represents BMI on the Board of FastTrack. Bryant, the son of legendary songwriters and publishers Boudleaux and Felice Bryant, joined BMI in Nashville in 1972, worked in many areas of the company over the next 32 years and was named President in August 2004. Bryant's comprehensive approach to building the BMI repertoire included initiatives in every major genre of music. He directed the establishment of a Latin music division, a first among American performing right organizations, and also led the company's effort in establishing an urban music division, paving the way for a genre that has now become a powerhouse category in the BMI repertoire. He reorganized and expanded BMI's London office to enable a higher level of service to U.K. and European writers and publishers in their U.S. representation.
Broadcast Music, Inc.® (BMI) is an American performing right organization that represents more than 300,000 songwriters, composers and publishers in all genres of music. For more than 65 years, BMI has represented the most popular music from around the world, a repertoire that includes more than 6.5 million works. BMI was the first American PRO to offer representation to the writers of blues, country, jazz, r&b, gospel, folk, Latin and, ultimately, rock & roll. BMI's industry-leading online capabilities offer instantaneous access to information on catalog, royalties and contract status. Computerization has facilitated the collection of performance data, distribution of royalty payments, management of licensing fees and automation of accounting functions. BMI was first to launch a website in 1994; first to license music online in 1995; first to list its catalog of musical works online in 1996; and the first to offer creators the ability to join online. BMI's wholly-owned subsidiary, Landmark Digital Servicessm, LLC offers advanced audio-recognition products.

Alex Callier, Songwriter, Bass Player and Producer, Hooverphonic (Belgium) Hooverphonic is based in Belgium, a small European country with a strong music scene featuring an open air festival tradition that starts as early as 1959. Hooverphonic's career has been marked from the beginning by international recognition, when the song '2 Wicky' was chosen for the movie 'Stealing Beauty' by Italian director Bernardo Bertolucci. From then on, their music kept appearing in movies, TV shows and commercials in the States, as well as in Spain and Japan. If Hooverphonic's '97 debut 'A New Stereophonic Sound Spectacular' clearly showed trip hop roots, the band has evolved since with three albums in five years. In 2001 they headlined at the Werchter festival in front of a crowd of 50.000. In 2003 they released 'Sit Down and Listen to', live recorded with a string quartet and followed by a tour with more than 60 concerts in 9 countries. Hooverphonic features the same core trio since 8 years. Alex Callier, bass player, main songwriter and producer, is the main musical force together with guitar player Raymond Geerts, both coming from the city of Sint-Niklaas. They were joined by Geike Arnaert who replaced Lies Sardonius and gave the band its definitive voice and face in '97, at the age of 17. Autumn 2005 Hooverphonic finished their fifth studio album called No More Sweet Music.
José María Cano, Singer/Songwriter (Spain) José María Cano Andrés (born 21 February 1959): Spanish singer, composer and producer. He began his recording career in 1979 with Mecano, Ana Torroja and his brother Nacho. He has composed such songs as Hijo de la luna, Aire, Mujer contra mujer, Cruz de navajas, Eugenio Salvador Dalí y Tú, Bailando salsa (co-produced with Johnny Pacheco). He also composed Tiempo de vals for the Puerto Rican singer Chayanne. In late 1992, José withdrew to London, where he spent the next five years composing. It was during this time that he decided to collaborate on an opera version of Hijo de la Luna with Montserrat Caballé.In 1997, Luna was released in disc format, becoming the best selling opera in Spain.In 1998 he reunited briefly with Mecano (and the album Ana, José y Nacho), performed Luna at the Palau de la Música in Valencia, and continued working as producer and composer. In late 2000, he published Josecano, his first pop album.In 2001, he composed and directed the centenary hymn for the Real Madrid football club, sung by Plácido Domingo on the day of the celebrations. Since 2005, he has dedicated himself professionally to the world of painting. Last year, he directed Montserrat Caballé and a small orchestra in performing the Pater Noster from Luna, for Pope Benedict XVI at the World Family Day in Valencia.

Leo Cendrowicz, Journalist & Correspondant, TIMA Magazine/ The Hollywood Reporter/ Billboard (Belgium) Leo Cendrowicz was born in London but has spent much of the past decade in Brussels as a freelance journalist. He is a correspondent for Time, The Hollywood Reporter and Billboard, and writes for numerous other publications including The Guardian, The Bulletin, and European Voice. Leo has also been a contributing editor for The Economist Guide to the European Union and the Time Out Guide to Brussels. He began his journalism career as a reporter in Brussels covering the minutiae of fishing quotas, but has now developed a range of writing interests, including EU and Belgian politics, cinema, football and rocket science.
The Hollywood Reporter, launched in 1930, is the entertainment industry's leading daily trade paper. It was the first daily entertainment trade to go online, in 1995, and it thrives as the first 'go-to' among industry users. Its team of reporters and news editors number more than 60, with representatives in most of the world's major cities.The Reporter is published by Nielsen Business Media which is part of The Nielsen Co., a global information and media company whose trade publications include Billboard. Billboard, founded in 1894, is the world's leading weekly devoted to the music industry. It also runs several music charts that track the world's most popular songs and albums in various categories. In recent years, the magazine and its websites have been repositioned to provide coverage of all forms of digital and mobile entertainment.
Susannah Cope, Senior Legal Counsel, MTV Networks International (UK) "Susannah Cope is Senior Legal Counsel to MTV Networks International. She is based in London, and her main focus at MTVNI is on music rights licensing. Susannah has responsibility for formulating strategy, negotiating and advising on agreements for the collective licensing of international music rights with major and independent labels, music publishers, collecting societies and other rights holders in Europe in relation to MTVNI's new media products as well as its broadcasting services. Before joining MTVN, Susannah was in private practice, most recently at Mayer Brown Rowe & Maw where she advised on intellectual property law matters, with a focus on the music industry."
MTV Networks International includes the premier multimedia entertainment brands MTV: Music Television, VH1, Nickelodeon, TMF (The Music Factory), VIVA, Flux, COMEDY CENTRAL, Paramount Comedy, Game One and IFILM. MTV Networks' brands are seen in 493 million households in 161 countries and 32 languages via 135 locally programmed and operated TV channels and more than 200 digital media properties. The company's diverse holdings also include interests in television syndication, digital media, publishing, home video, radio, recorded music, licensing & merchandising and two feature film divisions, MTV Films and Nickelodeon Movies. MTV Networks is a unit of Viacom Inc.
Brett Cottle, Chair of CISAC's Board of Directors and CEO of APRA (Australia) Brett Cottle is the Chief Executive of Australasian Performing Right Association Limited (APRA), a position held since July, 1990. Brett Cottle is also Acting Chair of CISAC Board of Directors since June 2006.For the period from December 1994 until April 1999 Brett held the position of Chairman of the Asia-Pacific Committee of CISAC (International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers). He is currently the Vice President of the Executive Bureau of CISAC.He is a Director of the Australian Copyright Council and a past member of the Copyright Law Review Committee.
Since 1926 APRA (the Australasian Performing Right Association) has been making life a little easier for songwriters, composers and music users. Australian copyright law makes songwriters and composers the exclusive owners of their original music and lyrics. Nobody else can use their work without getting their permission first, and if necessary, paying a royalty for this use. This is where APRA steps in. APRA is a not-for-profit organisation that collects royalties on behalf of its 44,000+ members, and by agreement, for all the copyright owners around the world.
Alfonso Cuaron Orozco, Film Director, Screenwriter and Producer (Mexico) Born in Mexico City, Alfonso studied, but didn't finish, degrees in philosophy or film studies at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). He made his way working as a runner, boom man, film loader, editor, camera man, assistant director and directing television until producing and directing his first feature "Solo Con Tu Pareja" in 1991. The film, written by Carlos Cuaron, won the Mexican Academy Award for best original screenplay and was the biggest box office hit in Mexico in 1992. Alfonso then directed "Murder Obliquely", an episode of the Fallen Angels series on Showtime. The episode, starring Laura Dern and Alan Rickman, won him the 1993 Cable ACE Award for best director. In 1995 he directed "A Little Princess." The film earned several awards and was nominated for two Hollywood Academy Awards. In 1998 he directed "Great Expectations"; the cast included Ethan Hawke, Gwyneth Paltrow, Robert De Niro and Anne Bancroft. In 2001, he produced and directed "Y Tu Mama Tambien." The film, co-written with Carlos Cuaron, was awarded the Silver Lion for best original screenplay at the 58th Venice Film Festival and the Marcello Mastroianni Award for best breakthrough performance to Diego Luna and Gael Garcia Bernal. The film earned other awards and was nominated for best original screenplay at the Hollywood Academy Awards and the BAFTAs. In 2004 Alfonso directed "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban." The film won the BAFTA for best audience award. The following year, he directed a segment of "Paris je t'aime" that was presented at Un Certain Regard at the 59th Cannes Film Festival. In 2006 he directed, co-wrote and co-edited "Children of Men", which premiered at the 63rd Venice Film Festival and earned 3 nominations at the Hollywood Academy Awards including best adapted screenplay. He has also produced several films, including "The Assassination of Richard Nixon", "Cronicas" and "Pan's Labyrinth."
Mercedes Echerer, Actress, Former MEP and Director of EU XXL Film (Austria) Mercedes Echerer was born in 1963 in Linz/Austria. Her Austrian father and her Hungarian mother brought her up bilingual. In Linz, she was educated as ballet-dancer; than she moved to Vienna to start to work as actress, singer and moderator. 1999-2004 Member of the European Parliament (Group of the Greens/EFA), the group's spokesperson for cultural and media policy; specialised on author's rights. Since 2004 back again on stage and screen; director of EU XXL film.
EU XXL film is an initiative for the advancement of European Integration and for cultural exchange. It recognises the special role of audiovisual media and the cultural, social and economic value of audiovisual productions. www.eu-xxl.at

Roger Faxon, Chairman & CEO, EMI Music Publishing (UK)
David Ferguson, Spokesperson of the European Composer and Songwriter Alliance ECSA and Acting President of the British Academy of Composers and Authors BACS (UK) David Ferguson has been a composer for 30 years in rock-and-roll and TV. He started in a band called Random Hold, releasing 3 albums and touring worldwide with XTC, OMD and Peter Gabriel.By 1983 he was writing music for TV and after a handful of small documentary series wrote the music for "The Sword of Islam" which was both BAFTA and EMMY nominated. Since then he has written the music for over 180 documentary programmes from ITV's "Diana - Story of a Princess", to the history of American art produced by the BBC - "American Visions".In drama productions he wrote the music for 'Cracker', the Inspector Rebus quartet, "Auf Wiedersehen Pet" and "Bravo 2 Zero" amongst many others. David is Chairman of the British Academy of Composers and Songwriters and the Alliance of Popular Composers in Europe (APCOE). In this context he is also the spokesperson for the 'Umbrella' pan european music writers organisation ECSA ( European Composer and Songwriter Alliance).
We are the voice of the composer and songwriter, regularly talking to UK and EU politicians, civil servants and government agencies, engaging with other areas of the music industry and campaigning to protect the value of copyright and to create a better environment in which music writers can flourish. We support our members through a range of services. From free legal advice and our exclusive magazine publications The Works and fourfour to a comprehensive programme of seminars & workshops that also offer social networking opportunities; our services are aimed at helping serious music writers develop & improve their careers. There is also 24 7 access to these resources via the members' area of our website and inclusion in our members directory offering online promotion. We are the home of the prestigious Ivor Novello and British Composer Awards celebrating excellence in contemporary songwriting and composing. We also honour those who have served our creative community with distinction through the Gold Badge Awards.
Commissioner Ján Figel, Member of the European Commission for Education, Training, Culture and Youth

Sylvie Forbin, Vice President, Public & European Affairs, Vivendi (France) Profil and career : Sylvie Forbin has followed classical studies at the Sorbonne, the cycle of Institut d'Etudes Politiques of Paris, and the post graduate diploma in international Economics at the Foundation of Political Sciences of Paris. She joined the Quai d'Orsay in 1983 (diplomatic career), with a first posting in Beijing (she had learned meanwhile chinese and japonese). Since 1989, she specialized in audiovisual and cultural affairs, serving first at the French Representation to the EU in Brussels, then at the French Embassy in Rome and later at the head of a pan-european cooperation organization called "Eureka audiovisual". She have had the opportunity, during this period, to specialize in European audiovisual regulation and audiovisual cooperation tools, such as the Media Program, from the very beginning of the process of the European audiovisual Policy. Since 2002, she joined a private company, Vivendi Universal, where she serves as vice-president of Public and European Affairs. With the two main activities of Vivendi (ex Vivendi Universal Group), Telecom and Media, she is now involved with convergence issues and new content services stakes.
Vivendi is a leader in entertainment with activities in music, TV, cinema, mobile, internet, and games. Vivendi is a major player in each of its activities: Universal Music Group, a 100% Vivendi subsidiary, the world's No. 1 recorded music company, selling more than one out of every four albums worldwide, also holds significant positions in the digital music market. Groupe Canal+, a 100% Vivendi subsidiary, the French leader in premium and theme channel distribution and programming is also a major player in the financing, acquisition and distibution of motion pictures in France and in Europe. SFR, a 56% Vivendi subsidiary, is the France No. 2 mobile telecommunications operator, also owns 40.5% of Neuf Cegetel, France's No. 2 fixed-line telecommunications operator. Maroc Telecom, a 51% Vivendi subsidiary, is the leading mobile and fixed-line and internet access operator in Morocco. Vivendi Games, a 100% Vivendi subsidiary, is the world's No. 1 player in the massively multiplayer online role-playing games category. Vivendi holds 20% of NBC Universal, a world leader in media with activities in film and television production, television channel distribution and theme park operations.
Robin Gibb, Singer/ Songwriter of the Bee Gees (UK) Robin Gibb was born in Douglas, Isle of Man on 22 December 1949. By 35 minutes he is the older twin of Maurice. With older brother Barry, they were to become among the most successful songwriters and recording artists in history. The family soon moved to Manchester and in 1958 emigrated to Queensland, Australia, where having already begun singing, the Gibb brothers enjoyed critical and chart success. On their return to England in 1967, a long association began with entrepreneur Robert Stigwood, who became their manager. The success of the Bee Gees is well documented, with their songs for the film Saturday Night Fever in particular defining the sound of an era. Robin's first solo album, Robin's Reign, was released in 1970 and included the single Saved by the Bell, which went to number 2. At this time he had left the Bee Gees, rejoining his brothers later that year. His second solo album, How Old Are You did not appear until 1983. The Bee Gees regard themselves primarily as songwriters and their songs have been recorded by artists as diverse as Elvis Presley, Robert Smith and Steps. They write jointly, although there have been occasional individual collaborations, such as Woman in Love, which Robin wrote with Barry and for which he won an Ivor Novello Award in 1980. He co-produced ex-Atomic Kitten Liz McClarnon's 2006 version the song, which went to number 5. He continues to write, record and perform, including an appearance at the 2007 Peel Bay Festival on the Isle of Man. Robin has 11 Ivors, is a Fellow of the British Academy of Composers and Songwriters, was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1994, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997. He is an Honorary Doctor of Music at the University of Manchester and in the 2002 New Years Honours he became a CBE.
Steve Gordon, Lawyer and Author of "The Future of The Music Business" (USA) Steve Gordon is an entertainment attorney and consultant based in New York City, and an oft-cited commentator on the impact of digital technology on the music business. He is author of the book titled "The Future of the Music Business: How to Succeed with the New Technologies, A Guide for Artists and Entrepreneurs." In 2006 Steve won a Fulbright Scholarship to lecture on entertainment law, and the future of the music business. Steve is planning his first visit as a Fulbright Scholar to Bocconi University in Milan next fall. You can tune into MyRealBroadcast.com to listen to his Internet radio show on the music business and read his blog at Digitalmusicnews.com. He is also a regular columnist for TheRegister.com based in London. Steve recently moderated seminars on derivative works in the digital age at Columbia Law School and on the future of the music business at the Wharton School. He was an Instructor at CUNY Graduate Center from 2003 to 2006. From 1991 to 2001 Steve served as Director of Business Affairs at Sony Music (TV/Video). Prior to Sony, Steve worked at Dino Di Laurentiis, a movie studio in Hollywood, and a music publishing company, SESAC, in New York. Steve is graduate of New York University School of Law.
Stevegordonlaw.com; Is the website for Mr. Gordon's law practice specializing in the production, distribution and financing of music, television, documentaries, feature films, and digital entertainment projects. He also operates a music clearance service for producers, filmmakers, and labels for use of music in feature films, documentaries, concert programs, DVDs and audio compilations. His current clients range from multinational corporations such as MTV and Microsoft to independent film, music and TV producers, performers and digital entertainment entrepreneurs.

Taylor Hackford, Film Director and 3rd Vice President of the Directors Guild of America (USA) Taylor Hackford is Third Vice President, Directors Guild of America. He serves on the Western Directors Council, Creative Rights Committee, Chair of the DGA PAC Committee and Co-Chair of the DGA Task Force on Social Responsibility. On February 3, 2007 he received the DGA's Robert Aldrich Award for Outstanding Service to the Guild. Mr. Hackford's most recent film was the Academy Award winning Ray. His next film will be "Good Luck, Mr. Anthony," a fact-based story of the animal rights activist who rescued the animals at the Baghdad Zoo. He directed An Officer and a Gentleman, White Nights, Dolores Claiborne, Everybody's All American, Devil's Advocate, the Idolmaker, Proof of Life, Blood In, Blood Out and Chuck Berry: Hail!, Hail! Rock n' Roll. Among the films he produced is La Bamba. He won an Academy Award for Teenage Father. Mr. Hackford discovered and restructured footage for the Academy Award-winning documentary When We Were Kings.

Kjell-Åke Hamrén, Chairman, Swedish Music Publishers Association (Sweden) Music publisher and violinist Kjell-Åke Hamrén began his publishing career in Stig Anderson's legendary Sweden Music at the time of ABBA's rising fame, before joining Nordiska Musikförlaget, Sweden's then leading publisher of classical and contemporary music as their Managing Director. He also worked for Warner/Chappell Music Scandinavia, before setting up his own Musik och Tanke (Music and Thought) in 1999. He is chairing the Swedish Music Publishers Association since 1999 and is a Director on the Boards of STIM and ICMP. Kjell-Åke is also pursuing an active career as a violinist and chaired for almost 10 years the Swedish String Teachers Association. Since 2004 he is International Vice President of the European String Teachers Association. In 2005 he accepted to chair the Järnåker String Instrument Foundation, which owns a prestigious collection of Italian and French string instruments of the violin family that it lends to leading soloists and chamber music players.

Keith Harris, Director of Performer Affairs, PPL (UK) Keith Harris began work in the record industry in 1974. The first record company for which he worked was a small independent UK label called Transatlantic records. The label represented mainly British folk musicians but also distributed the Blue Note and Milestone Jazz labels. In 1976 he joined EMI Records where he initially worked for several in-house EMI labels in the promotions department. These labels included Rocket where he worked on the Elton John album 'Blue Moves', Fantasy, Ariola and EMI International. He then joined Motown which was an EMI licensed label. He worked for Motown for two years ending up as General Manager for the label. During this period at the label he worked with artists such as Marvin Gaye, Diana Ross, Smokey Robinson, The Commodores, Rick James, The Supremes, Thelma Houston and Stevie Wonder. He left Motown in 1978 and moved to Los Angeles to work with Stevie Wonder and became operations manager for Stevie's companies. On his return to the UK in 1982 he formed his own management company and has been involved in the management of various UK based artists since. He has managed Junior Giscombe, Junior Tucker, Paul Johnson, & Omar. Keith managed Lynden David Hall until his recent death, and still represents Stevie Wonder, he is a Senior Fellow of the University of Westminster school of music film and fashion. He is a former Chairman of the MMF www.ukmmf.net the Chairman of Musictank www.musictank.co.uk and he is also the chairman of the African and Caribbean Music Circuit, a music touring organisation funded by the Arts Council of England. He is also a Fellow of the Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts (FRSA). Keith is now Director of Performer Affairs at PPL.
PPL is the not-for-profit London-based UK music industry service company which licenses recorded music on behalf of over 3,500 record companies and 40,000 performers. The company collects domestic and international broadcast/new media revenues and public performance income which is then paid to its record company and performer members. These include featured artists as well as all session musicians, orchestral players and singers. PPL acts on their behalf and does not make a profit because all income, after running costs, is distributed amongst the member companies and performers whose tracks have been either broadcast or played in public.
Harold Heker, Chief Executive Officer, GEMA (Germany)
Born in Essen on March 1, 1958
Studied law in Munich
Doctor's degree in Freiburg/Br.
Since 2007 Chief Executive Officer of GEMA
Since 2006 Member of the Executive Board of GEMA
2001 - 2005 General Manager of Börsenverein des Deutschen Buchhandels, the German Publishers and Booksellers Association, and since 2003 spokesman for the management of Börsenverein Beteiligungsgesellschaft mbH, in which the German Publishers and Booksellers Association groups its commercial activities, e.g. organisation of the Frankfurt Book Fair.
1990 - 2000 Legal advisor to the Börsenverein and co-manager of the Börsenverein's Fair and Exhibition Company (Ausstellung- und Messe GmbH)
1988 - 1990 Lawyer and Managing Director of the Institute for Copyright and Media Law (Institut für Urheber- und Medienrecht) in Munich
In Germany, GEMA administers the copyrights of more than 60,000 members (composers, lyricists and music publishers) as well as those of over 1 million rights owners from all corners of the world. With an income of EUR 874 million (in the 2006 financial year) it is one of the world's largest authors' societies for works of music. GEMA offers its customers the worldwide repertoire of music and provides comprehensive and attractive services for all music authors and rights owners. With its sister societies and other partners, GEMA follows actively the music markets and has developed new forms of economic cooperation.

Bendik Hofseth, Composer, Saxophonist and Singer (Norway) Bendik Hofseth: Norwegian composer, saxophonist and singer. Professor of music at Agder University College. Hofseth worked for several years in the USA, writing and playing. Most notably with legendary jazz band Steps Ahead, with whom he still performs occasionally. He has released 8 Cd's with his own music, a personal blend of genres and styles. On these records his collaborators have been as diverse as Tony Levin, Junior Wells, Talvin Singh, Django Bates, Ray Phiri and Nana Vasconcelos. His latest CD: "Itaka" was released in 2006 and contains lyrical songs recorded by jazz and classical musicians. Bendik has performed extensively around the world in different settings: John McLaughlin, Hariprasad Chaurasia, Rickie Lee Jones, different chamber and symphonic orchestras amongst others... He has written several commissioned pieces for different ensembles and has done many scores for feature films, theatre and TV. Hofseth is active on the board of TONO, NcB and CIAM. He is the chairman of NOPA (Norwegian Composers and Lyricists), Phonofile (on-line distribution), Artspages (internet technologies) and By:Larm (festival/seminars).
NOPA has been around for close to 70 years and has around 750 members. These members cover all genres of music, ranging from black metal throughout pop to symphonic score writers. NOPA is a co-owner of TONO, the Norwegian authors right society and KOPINOR (repro-graphic right society). A wide range of services are provided to the members; legal aid, education, digital distribution, information etc. NOPA collaborates closely with other similar organisations in the Nordic region and has also done work in Malawi, South Africa and Nepal on behalf of rightsholders there.
Henk Hofstede, Singer and Songwriter, The Nits (Netherlands)
1951 born in Amsterdam
1970 student at the Rietveld Academy
1974 founder of The Nits
1977 student at The Royal Academy of Art in Amsterdam
1980 first album released by CBS
Through the eighties several top ten albums and singles
1987 Album 'In the Dutch Mountains'in the charts all over Europe.
First video-clip for the song In The Dutch Mountains.
Henk is directing and editing all the clips of the Nits.
Together with his wife Riemke Kuipers he is designing the albumcovers posters and the stage-décors.
Makes several short films for the Dutch tv.
For the Finish tv a film about the house of Leonard Cohen on the Greek Island Hydra.
2001 invitation of the Bienale of Lyon to make a video-installation.
2003 release of a solo album in the Dutch language.
2006 a music film for the Dutch tv about a project of Henny Vrienten 'The Night' and a presentation of this project in The Palais des Beaux Arts in Brussels.
Henk composed music for 3 feature films and several documentaries in Holland.
With the Nits music for 2 documtaries for the BBC.
Since 1996 working together with musicians from Switzerland on several projects
resulting in a 18 piece ensemble called the Ho Orchestra.
2007 release of an album with leonard Cohen songs introducing theAvalanche Quartet.
Still touring all over Europe and Canada with the Nits.
Henk is living and working in Amsterdam with his wife and three daughters.

David M. Israelite, President & CEO, National Music Publishers' Association NMPA (USA) From 2001 through early 2005 Israelite served as Deputy Chief of Staff and Counselor to the Attorney General of the United States. In addition to his general management responsibilities, Israelite served as the Attorney General's personal advisor on all legal, strategic and public affairs issues. In March of 2004, the Attorney General appointed Israelite Chairman of the Department's Task Force on Intellectual Property.From 1994 through 1997, Israelite practiced law in the Commercial Litigation Department at the firm of Bryan Cave, LLP in Kansas City, Missouri. Israelite earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Missouri in 1994 and received a B.A. in a double major of Political Science and Communications from William Jewell College in 1990. While in college, Israelite was named Top Speaker by the National Cross Examination Debate Association, recognizing him as the nation's top collegiate debater.From 1997 through 1998, Israelite served as Missouri Senator Kit Bond's Administrative Assistant, making him the youngest AA in the United States Senate. Israelite also served as Campaign Manager for Senator Bond's successful 1998 re-election campaign. Prior to joining the Department of Justice, Israelite served as the Director of Political and Governmental Affairs for the Republican National Committee.
The National Music Publishers' Association is the largest U.S. music publishing trade association with over 700 members. Its mission is to protect, promote, and advance the interests of music's creators. The NMPA is the voice of both small and large music publishers, the leading advocate for publishers and their songwriter partners in the nation's capital and in every area where publishers do business. The goal of NMPA is to protect its members' property rights on the legislative, litigation, and regulatory fronts. In this vein, the NMPA continues to represent its members in negotiations to shape the future of the music industry by fostering a business environment that furthers both creative and financial success. The NMPA has remained the most active and vocal proponent for the interests of music publishers in the U.S. and throughout the world, a continuing tradition of which the association is very proud.

Agnes Jaoui, Screenwriter, Film Director, Actress and Singer (France) TrainingConservatory of Lyric Art of the 7th Arrondissement of Paris, under Professor Magda Lierman.Enghien Conservatory of Lyric Art, under Professor Guy CHAUVETSinging course at the Vienna Academy, under Professor Junko NAKADAActing School of the Théâtre des Amandiers - Nanterre - under Patrice CHEREAU Selection of her main works as author or director:
2006
PARLEZ-MOI DE LA PLUIE (Tell Me about the Rain)feature filmwriter of the screenplay, in collaboration with Jean-Pierre Bacridirector: Agnès Jaoui
2003
COMME UNE IMAGE (Look at Me)feature filmwriter of the screenplay, in collaboration with Jean-Pierre Bacridirector: Agnès JaouiBest Screenplay Award at the Cannes International Film Festival - 2004
1999
LE GOÛT DES AUTRES (The Taste of Others)feature filmDirector: Agnès Jaoui César Award for Best Film - 2001César Award for Best Screenplay - 2001César Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role - 2001 (Anne Alvaro)César Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role - 2001 (Gérard Lanvin)Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Language Film - 2001
1998
ON CONNAÎT LA CHANSON (Same Old Song)feature filmwriter of the screenplaydirected by Alain RESNAISCésar Award for Best Screenplay - 1998
1996
UN AIR DE FAMILLE (Family Resemblances)feature film and stage playwritten by Agnès Jaoui, in collaboration with Jean-Pierre Bacridirector: Cédric KLAPISCHstage director: Stéphane MELDEGGJury Award and Public Award - Montreal 1996César Award for Best Screenplay - 1996César nomination for Best Supporting Role - 1996Molière 1995
1994
SMOKING NO SMOKINGfeature filmwriter of the screenplaydirected by Alain RESNAISCésar 1994
1993
CUISINE ET DÉPENDANCES (Kitchen with Apartment)feature film and stage play written by Agnès Jaoui, in collaboration with Jean-Pierre Bacridirector: Philippe MUYLstage director: Stéphane MELDEGG

Peter Jenner, Chair, International Music Managers Forum IMMF (UK) After gaining a First Class Honours Degree in Economics at Cambridge University, Peter Jenner became a Lecturer at the London School of Economics at the tender age of twenty-one. His career in academia lasted for four years after which he left to devote his attention to managing an up-and-coming modern music group that had caught his attention. The band's name was The Pink Floyd. After their time with the Floyd was over, Peter and his business partner Andrew King then put on a series of free concerts in London's Hyde Park which culminated with The Rolling Stones in 1969.Now, after more than forty years in the music business, the list of clients he has worked with reads like a Who's Who of musical successes. He has managed T Rex (fronted by Marc Bolan), Ian Dury, Roy Harper, The Clash, Robyn Hitchcock, Eddi Reader, Baaba Maal and others. Peter continues to manage the career of Billy Bragg and 7 Seconds of Love and was recently the co-author of the well received Music Tank report Beyond the Soundbytes. He is also Chairman of the IMMF, a director of the UK MMF (Music Managers' Forum), and has many other projects on the go.

Larry Kenswil, Executive Vice President of Business Strategy, Universal Music Group (USA) Larry Kenswil is Executive Vice President of Business Strategy for the Universal Music Group ("UMG"). Mr. Kenswil focuses on creating new revenue streams and exploring and capitalizing on the many new opportunities emerging in the marketplace for music. He is a key negotiator for UMG with respect to major deals in this area. Additionally, Mr. Kenswil supervises company policy on industry-wide issues such as content protection, cross-industry negotiations, and the impact of governmental activity on the company. Until April, 2007, Mr. Kenswil was head of UMG's eLabs division, which he founded in January 1999, and was responsible for developing and launching global business and new technology efforts for UMG during the key years of digital transformation of the music business.Prior to eLabs, Mr. Kenswil was UMG's Executive Vice President, Business and Legal Affairs. Mr. Kenswil sits on the Board of Directors of the Recording Industry Association of America (the "RIAA") and, previously, the Board of the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry ("IFPI"). He has long been active in government affairs on behalf of the music industry, having testified before both congressional and administration committees. Mr. Kenswil holds a B.A. from Cornell University, an M.S. from Boston University, and a J.D. from Georgetown University.Universal Music Group is the world's leading music company with wholly-owned record operations or licensees in 77 countries around the world. Its business also includes Universal Music Publishing Group, one of the industry's largest global music publishing operations.
Universal Music Group consists of record labels Decca Music Group, Deutsche Grammophon, Interscope Geffen A&M Records, Geffen Records, Island Def Jam Music Group, Lost Highway Records, Machete Music, MCA Nashville, Mercury Nashville, Mercury Records, Philips, Polydor Records, Universal Music Latino, Universal Motown Records Group, Universal South Records and Verve Music Group, as well as a multitude of record labels owned or distributed by its record company subsidiaries around the world. Universal Music Group owns the most extensive catalog of music in the industry, which is marketed through two distinct divisions, Universal Music Enterprises (in the U.S.) and Universal Strategic Marketing (outside the U.S.). Universal Music Group also includes eLabs, a new media and technologies division, and Universal Music Mobile. Universal Music Group is a unit of Vivendi, a global media and communications company.

Michael Keplinger, Deputy Director General, World Intellectual Property Organisation WIPO (Switzerland) Mr. Michael Keplinger was appointed to WIPO's top management team in December 2006, after 22 years' service in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). As the senior advisor on copyright in the United States Executive Branch, he led a team of copyright attorneys responsible for analyzing and formulating recommendations for the U.S. Administration on copyright policies, and for implementation of those policies. Before joining the USPTO, he held various positions at the U.S. Copyright Office. Mr. Keplinger now oversees the activities of the WIPO sector responsible for copyright and related rights and for enforcement. In January, he represented WIPO for the first time at the special session of the Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights (SCCR), where he worked with Member States to clarify the outstanding issues regarding proposals for a new treaty on the protection of broadcasting organizations. As this Magazine goes to press, he is supervising the final preparations by WIPO's enforcement team for the Third Global Congress (page 6), where he will join government and business leaders in seeking to turn the rising tide of counterfeiting and piracy.The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations. It is dedicated to developing a balanced and accessible international intellectual property (IP) system, which rewards creativity, stimulates innovation and contributes to economic development while safeguarding the public interest.
WIPO was established by the WIPO Convention in 1967 with a mandate from its Member States to promote the protection of IP throughout the world through cooperation among states and in collaboration with other international organizations. Its headquarters are in Geneva, Switzerland.WIPO's vision is that IP is an important tool for the economic, social and cultural development of all countries. This shapes its mission to promote the effective use and protection of IP worldwide. Strategic goals are set out in a four yearly Medium Term Plan and refined in the biennial Program and Budget document.

Philippe Kern, Managing Director, KEA European Affairs (Belgium) Philippe Kern is the founder and managing director of KEA European Affairs. He has 20 years' experience in the world of creative industries. He is a specialist in copyright, anti-trust and trade law. Kern was former Director of Public and Legal Affairs of PolyGram and head of the IFPI Brussels office. He is the founder and secretary general of the European Film Companies Alliance (EFCA) as well as the Independent Music Companies Association (IMPALA). Kern graduated in law at the universities of Strasbourg and Paris as well as the College of Europe in Bruges. He speaks French, English and German.
Our mission is to take the lead in advising the creative sectors, and to establish a benchmark for studies in the creative and cultural sectors. KEA passionately defends and promotes the cause of the creative industries and civil society in Europe. We build bridges at European level between the content industries, art, culture, education and sport and the world of politics, finance and technology.KEA is committed to supporting creative and knowledge-based companies and institutions by promoting cultural diversity. KEA provides services to industries, organisations, associations and public institutions active at local, national and Community level, mainly in the fields of creation, innovation, education, culture, sports and civil society projects. KEA advises its clients on public, legal and regulatory affairs. We provide services in research, event management, public relations and association management. Based at the heart of the European institutions, with a multilingual and multinational staff, we understand Europe's cultural and political diversity.

Lisbeth Kirk, Editor, EUobserver.com (Belgium) A journalist by education, Lisbeth Kirk is the founder and managing editor of the EUobserver, guiding the company in both the editorial realm and its business-orientation. In doing so, Lisbeth also established the EUbookshop.com which has become an especially popular niche site for a wide variety of publications related to Europe and the EU. Lisbeth has reported on the European Union for many years and her primary aim is to continue to offer a widely-read and trusted platform for news and mature discussion on EU affairs."As an increasing number of important decisions are made at the European level, our role as an online medium grows. We bring news and debate to decision makers across Europe and keep our readers in the know." Lisbeth Kirk, Editor
The EUobserver was founded in 2000 to advance and expand the debate on European affairs. It has since become the largest and most trusted resource for EU stakeholders, with over 750,000 unique readers every month. The site attracts high-level decision makers from the EU institutions, national governments, businesses and public affairs. It is also widely used in the academic world in addition to an estimated 2,500 journalists every day. The site offers a specialised FOCUS section on developments within the Creative Rights field in the EU context: http://euobserver.com/871

Bob Kohn, Chairman & CEO, RoyaltyShare (USA) Bob Kohn is Chairman & CEO of RoyaltyShare, Inc., the premier provider of Web-based royalty processing and reporting solutions to the music and entertainment industries. Kohn is co-author of Kohn On Music Licensing (Aspen Law & Business, 3rd Edition 2002), a 1,600 page legal treatise which USA Today called, "the bible on legal issues in the music world." In 1998, he founded EMusic.com, Inc., the pioneering MP3 music-download service which was acquired in 2001 by Universal Music Group. Until recently, Kohn served vice chairman of the board of Borland Software Corporation where he previously served as senior vice president and general counsel. Prior to that, he was an associate attorney at the law offices of Milton A. "Mickey" Rudin, an entertainment law firm whose clients included Frank Sinatra, Liza Minelli, and Cher. Kohn serves on the editorial board of the Entertainment Law Reporter and has taught law at Monterey College of Law in Monterey, California.
RoyaltyShare is the leader in Web-based royalty processing and reporting solutions for the global entertainment industry. RoyaltyShare provides a suite of on-demand services dedicated to simplifying the increasingly complex and necessary task of managing sales and distribution information, calculating royalties, and generating Web-accessible royalty reports. RoyaltyShare's centralized revenue data processing solution supports digital, physical, subscription, mobile and other sources of revenue. Its state-of-the-art system and dedicated 24/7 royalty support team enables music labels, distributors and publishers to accurately manage royalty reporting obligations anytime, anywhere. For more information, please visit http://www.royaltyshare.com.

Cornelia Kutterer, Senior Legal Advisor, European Consumers' Organisation BEUC (Belgium) Cornelia Kutterer holds the position of senior legal advisor at BEUC, the European consumer organisation. She is heading the legal department focusing on consumer protection law, access to justice, passenger rights, intellectual property law, information society and media law, and data protection.Prior to this, Cornelia worked in a law firm mainly in the fields of competition law, EU regulatory policies, intellectual property and e-commerce. She also gained professional experience as legal advisor for International affairs in the building industry advising on the legal impact of cross-border posting of workers and representing the building industry's social fund in European affairs before EU governments and institutions. She started her professional career in the European Parliament as an assistant to a MEP in 1997. Cornelia Kutterer is a qualified German lawyer (registered at the Frankfurt bar) and holds a master's degree in information technology and communication laws.
BEUC is a Brussels-based organisation representing the independent consumer associations from 30 European countries, including all the member states of the EU. BEUC seeks to influence all EU policies which may affect consumers including policies relating to food, agriculture, environment, competition, single market, trade, financial services, legal interests, health, safety etc.

Michel Lambot, Co-Chairman, Play it Again Sam PIAS (Belgium) Michel Lambot's career is inseparable from PIAS (Play it Again Sam) as the co-founder and co-president. Created in 1983 in a Brussels cellar by Kenny Gates and Michel Lambot, with a derisory amount of capital, PIAS has become a leader of the European independent record industry.Until July 2006, Michel Lambot was also President of Impala, an international non-profit organisation founded in 2000, uniting independent music companies. Its most recent success was the annulment by the European Court of First Instance in July 2006 of the European Commission's authorisation of the Sony-BMG merger.
PIAS started out through the distribution of independent labels, then extended its activities to production through the creation of its own label in 1984. In 1990, PIAS set up offices in Hilversum, Holland, then followed the takeover of Vital in 1993 (which is now the top distributor of alternative music in the UK). PIAS offices were set up in Paris and London in 1994, and in Hamburg in 1995 and Madrid in 2000. Pias current turnover exceeds 110M€ realised by a staff of over 200 people. In 2004 Pias set up Pias Digital that has now very rapidly become the European reference in quality and turnover of digital and mobile exploitation of music recordings

Rich Lappenbusch, Director Entertainment and Devices Division, Microsoft (USA) Mr. Lappenbusch is responsible for Microsoft's media metadata strategy and business relationships in content identification and commercial media including advertising, music, television and video. His focus is on market, business and intellectual property development on technology platforms & services, digital devices, and personal computers. Mr. Lappenbusch has 15 years experience in media and software including; business planning, project development, interactive television development & production, post production, operations management, site development, software development, and acquisitions. Lappenbusch has also worked for MSN, MSNBC, Continuum Productions, GTE, and Videodiscovery. He holds patents in interactive traffic systems, a Masters in Interactive Telecommunications from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts and a Bachelor's degree from the University of Redlands. He currently serves as; Board of Directors & Secretary - Digital Data Exchange, Board of Directors - ISAN International Agency, International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers. MicrosoftFounded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq "MSFT") is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

Andrè LeBel, CEO, SOCAN (Canada) André LeBel joined SOCAN as CEO in May 2000 with a clear mandate to manage change in the areas of technology, financial management and corporate culture. With over 25 years experience in domestic and international telecommunication services, LeBel used his previous experience leading major telecom operators' transition from a monopolistic to a competitive environment to position SOCAN for the future. During the first seven years of LeBel's tenure, SOCAN had many significant accomplishments including an increased gross income of over 50%; and a reduction in the "management net expense ratio" of nearly 25%. Plus, SOCAN now boasts one of the most extensive suites of e-Commerce applications in the rights management business worldwide.LeBel's drive for technology leadership has recently been seen in the implementation of Digital Audio Identification technology, a state-of-the-art data warehouse supporting management decision making, and a suite of eTools allowing members to drill down into their performances (pre/post distributions) and even estimate their receivable royalties.He's also championed best practice governance at SOCAN, CISAC and FastTrack.
SOCAN is a performing rights organization (PRO) representing more than 80,000 Canadian composers, lyricists, songwriters and their publishers. By virtue of reciprocal agreements with international PROs, SOCAN also represents hundreds of thousands of other music creators and their publishers from around the world. Headquartered in Toronto, Canada, and represented by affiliated PROs in most countries worldwide, SOCAN is a copyright collective governed by a board of directors consisting of and elected by its members.SOCAN's mandate is to ensure that members are compensated with royalties when their musical works are communicated to the public or publicly performed. We are proactive in meeting and exceeding our stakeholders' expectations for comprehensive and efficient collection and distribution of royalties and personalized, state-of-the-art services.

Emmanuel Legrand, Independent journalist (UK) Emmanuel Legrand is a freelance journalist covering the global entertainment and broadcasting businesses. Based in London, he was until March 2006 global editor of US trade publication Billboard and London bureau chief for the Billboard Information Group. From January 1997 to July 2003 he was editor in chief of Billboard's sister publication Music & Media, the leading weekly pan-European trade magazine covering the music, radio and new media industries.Prior to joining the London-based publication, he was the Paris-based French correspondent for several international trade publications (Music & Media, Billboard, Broadcast, TV World, among others).From 1985 to 1987, he worked for French music trade publication Show Magazine.He holds a master degree in political science from the university of Paris-V Sorbonne.
Gerd Leonhard, Music & Media Futurist and Author of "The end of Control" (Germany) Gerd has spent 20+ years in technology & entertainment in the U.S. and Europe, and is considered a visionary and pioneer in digital music. In 2005, he co-authored the critically acclaimed book "The Future of Music" (Berklee Press), which is now available in German, Italian, and Japanese. Gerd's second book "The End of Control" is forthcoming in 2007. Gerd frequently speaks at leading events, think-tanks and conferences, and on podcasts and net-forums such as for FT events, Informa, Billboard, the BBC, Corante, ITConversations, Inside Digital Media, and Technation. Gerd is also the Co-Founder and CEO of SONIFIC.com, an online music network that provides soundtracks for digital media. He also works with many cutting-edge entertainment & technology ventures, and with their investors, worldwide. Prior roles include: Founder & CEO of LicenseMusic.com, Founder and Executive Producer EuroPopDays, and Cultural Industries Expert Advisor to the European Commission. Gerd holds a Jazz Performance (guitar) Diploma by Berklee College of Music (87), and is the recipient of Berklee's Quincy Jones Jazz Masters Award (1985). Gerd's clients include ITV, SonyBMG, Mediacorp, AIM, Impala, SUISA, Music Choice, and the ABU/ EBU.

Professor Lawrence Lessig, Author of "Free Culture" and Founder of Creative Commons (USA) Lawrence Lessig is a Professor of Law at Stanford Law School and founder of the school's Center for Internet and Society. Prior to joining the Stanford faculty, he was the Berkman Professor of Law at Harvard Law School, and a Professor at the University of Chicago. He clerked for Judge Richard Posner on the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals and Justice Antonin Scalia on the United States Supreme Court. Professor Lessig represented web site operator Eric Eldred in the ground-breaking case Eldred v. Ashcroft, a challenge to the 1998 Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act. He has won numerous awards, including the Free Software Foundation's Freedom Award, and was named one of Scientific American's Top 50 Visionaries, for arguing "against interpretations of copyright that could stifle innovation and discourse online." Professor Lessig is the author of Free Culture (2004), The Future of Ideas (2001), Code and Other Laws of Cyberspace (1999) and Code 2.0 (2006). He chairs the Creative Commons project, and serves on the board of the Free Software Foundation, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, the Public Library of Science, and Public Knowledge. He is also a columnist for Wired. Professor Lessig earned a BA in economics and a BS in management from the University of Pennsylvania, an MA in philosophy from Cambridge, and a JD from Yale. Professor Lessig teaches and writes in the areas of constitutional law, contracts, and the law of cyberspace. For more information, please see Steven Levy's profile of Professor Lessig in the October 2002 issue of Wired: Lawrence Lessig's Supreme Showdown or see his curriculum vitae.
Creative Commons' first project, in December 2002, was the release of a set of copyright licenses free for public use. Taking inspiration in part from the Free Software Foundation's GNU General Public License (GNU GPL), Creative Commons has developed a Web application that helps people dedicate their creative works to the public domain - or retain their copyright while licensing them as free for certain uses, on certain conditions. Unlike the GNU GPL, Creative Commons licenses are not designed for software, but rather for other kinds of creative works: websites, scholarship, music, film, photography, literature, courseware, etc. We hope to build upon and complement the work of others who have created public licenses for a variety of creative works. Our aim is not only to increase the sum of raw source material online, but also to make access to that material cheaper and easier. To this end, we have also developed metadata that can be used to associate creative works with their public domain or license status in a machine-readable way. We hope this will enable people to use our search application and other online applications to find, for example, photographs that are free to use provided that the original photographer is credited, or songs that may be copied, distributed, or sampled with no restrictions whatsoever. We hope that the ease of use fostered by machine- readable licenses will further reduce barriers to creativity.

Jacques Lion, Director General, SABAM (Belgium) A figure from within the Belgian Society of Authors, Composers and Publishers (SABAM), Jacques LION (aged 58) is now its CEO. Having trained as a lawyer, he began his career within the enterprise in 1983 in the Mechanical Reproduction Rights Department before working his way up through the society. At the end of 1999, the society's Board called on him to assume the responsibilities that are still his today. He accepted the challenge of transforming SABAM - Belgium's leading private organisation in the cultural sector - into a modern collective management society. He met this challenge progressively with the help of a new management team which he recruited in part from outside the organisation. There is no question that the results of his action are recognised by everyone, both nationally and internationally. This keen cyclist and reader is not averse to a game of golf, a sport that he is particularly fond of when his professional activities permit.
SABAM is the largest private enterprise pursuing cultural aims in Belgium. Composers, lyricists, publishers, dramatists, screenwriters, dialogue writers, photographers, authors of subtitles, directors, translators, novelists, poets, sculptors, painters, illustrators and choreographers all form the membership of SABAM. This diversity makes it almost unique in the world!With several million works registered, SABAM represents its members and foreign artists on a "day-to-day" basis in their dealings with users. In 2006, the redistribution of the royalties collected on their behalf represented some €186.48 million.The society has adopted a multimedia-oriented policy, notably through its website www.sabam.be. It is present in various international organisations including CISAC and GESAC. At national level, SABAM is active within several bodies such as the Federation of Belgian Enterprises (FEB).SABAM also attaches great importance to promoting the arts. One of its missions is to encourage numerous cultural initiatives in Belgium. Of note, in this connection, is the success of the two cultural gift tokens, "SABAM Culture Access" and "SABAM CD-DVD", designed to foster access to culture in general and the purchase of CDs and DVDs throughout Belgium

John LoFrumento, Chief Executive Officer, ASCAP (USA) As CEO of ASCAP, John LoFrumento sets and directs the strategic growth for one of the world's largest performing rights organizations. Over the last four years, ASCAP's distributions to its members totaled $2.5 billion, and in 2006 the Society's operating ratio dropped to an all time low of 12.0%. In addition, LoFrumento took the unprecedented step of restructuring ASCAP into five distinct business units, which has equipped the organization to meet the challenges of the 21st century. LoFrumento represents ASCAP as a member of CISAC's Board of Directors, is the Chairman of its Finance Committee, and has served as Chairman of the CISAC Canada/USA Committee. In addition, he's a member of the Board of Directors and Chairman of the Finance Committee of FastTrack. He also serves as a member of the Board and Chairman of the Finance Committee of the Songwriters Hall of Fame; is Chairman of the Board of Mediaguide; and CEO of MusicPro Insurance and Secretary of the ASCAP Foundation.
Established in 1914, the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) is the first and leading U.S. Performing Rights Organization representing the world's largest repertory totaling over 8.5 million copyrighted musical works of every style and genre from nearly 300,000 members. ASCAP is the only American Performing Rights Organization owned and governed by its writer and publisher members. And these members have access to a wide array of innovative ASCAP benefits and services including a Member Benefit Card, MusicPro Insurance, Mediaguide Digital Tracking, the ASCAP "I Create Music EXPO", the ASCAP Network and the ASCAP website (www.ascap.com)." In addition, ASCAP has representation arrangements with over 90 music rights organizations such that the ASCAP repertory is represented in nearly every country around the world. ASCAP protects the rights of its members and foreign affiliates by licensing the public performances of their copyrighted works and distributing royalties based upon surveyed performances.
Manuel Medina Ortega, Member of the European Parliament (Spain)
Member of the European Parliament since 1986; Group of the Party of European Socialists; Partido Socialista Obrero Español (PSOE), Spain .
Degree in law (University of La Laguna, 1957)
Doctorate in law (University of Madrid, 1961)
Master's degree in Comparative Law (Columbia University, New York, 1962)
Professor of International Law and International Relations (Complutense University, Madrid, 1959-1975)
Titular professor of International Law (Universidad de La Laguna, 1975-1978)
Titular professor of International Relations (Complutense University, Madrid, since 1978).
Chairman of the People's Socialist Party in the Canaries (1976-1978)
Deputy in the " Cortes ", the Spanish Parliament (1982-1987)
Vice-President of the European Parliament (1986)
Chairman of the Management Committee of the PSOE in Lanzarote (1993-1994);
Chairman of the European Parliament Delegation for relations with the countries of South America (1987-1994)
Chairman of the Spanish Socialist delegation in the European Parliament (1994-1999)
Coordinator for the EP Committee on Legal Affairs and the Internal Market (1999-2004)
Member of the Order of Isabel the Catholic, Spain (1985).
Grand Cross of the Order of Bernardo O'Higgins, Chile (1992).
Member of the Order of May (Argentina) (1993).
Grand Cross of the Order of Nariño (Colombia) (1994).
Commander of the Order of the Phoenix (Greece) (1994).
Grand Cross of the Order of Francisco de Miranda (Venezuela) (2000).
Grand Cross of the Order of the Águila Azteca (Mexico).
Bernard Miyet, Chairman of the Management Board, SACEM (France)
Graduated : Institut d'Études politiques. French national school of public administration ("Guernica" class).
Appointed to the political affairs division, became First Secretary for the French permanent mission to UN - Geneva.
1981-82 : chief of staff to the French minister of communication.
1983-84 : Chairman and CEO of Sofirad.
1985 : special adviser to the Chairman of Schlumberger, managing the start up of "la Cinq" TV.
1986-89 : French Consul General - Los Angeles
1989-90 : Deputy Director General in charge of communication (Ministry of Foreign Affairs). Organized the European Audiovisual Conference.
France's permanent representative - UN (1991-93). Roving ambassador covering the "cultural exception" in the GATT negotiations (1993).
1994-96 : Ambassador, France's permanent representative - OSCE.
1997-2000 : Under-Secretary General of the UN, in charge of the peacekeeping operations.
Since 2001 : Sacem - CEO of the Management Board.
President of GESAC (European grouping of societies of authors, composers) since 2005.
The Vocation of Sacem is to protect, represent and provide services to authors, composers and publishers of musical works. Missions :
Sacem is a non-profit membership organization for managing royalties and authors' rights. Its primary mission is to collect royalties and to redistribute these equitably to rights holders.
Founded over 150 years ago, Sacem was the first society in the world to represent musical rights holders. It has established itself as a key international player and as a driving force in rights management.
To provide the best services to its members, in total transparency, it also develops information technology facilitating data exchange.
Sacem contributes to cultural initiatives as well.
Key figures 2005
110,000 members including 14,000 foreign rights holders
757.4 million euros collected in 2005, distributed in 2005 and 2006
608.4 million euros distributed in 2005, collected in 2004 and 2005
26.5 million works accessed through FastTrack and Cis-Net
Joe Mohen, Chairman & Founder, SpiralFrog (USA)

Nicholas Motsatse, Chief Executive Officer, SAMRO (South Africa) Nicholas Motsatse is the Chief Executive Officer of the Sothern African Music Rights Organisation (SAMRO), a collective management organisation (CMO) in the field of Performing and Mechanical Rights. He assumed this role in July 2006 after a period of four years as the same organisations' Marketing Director and Deputy Chief Executive. He serves on the Board of Directors of CISAC, the Business Intelligence Group (BIG) of CISAC as well as the Executive Committee of the Africa Committee of CISAC. He is the Chairman of the National Arts Council, a statutory body set up the government of the Republic of South Africa. A graduate of humanities, marketing and currently completing his Masters in Business Leadership, Nicholas has had a career that spans a number of industries such as manufacturing, management consulting, financial services and education.
SAMRO is the largest Collective Management Organisation in Africa. It currently administers Broadcasting, Performance in Public, Diffusion Service and Mechanical Rights in musical works. A member in good standing of CISAC and BIEM, SAMRO's senior managers continue to play active roles within various CISAC committees. Of note is SAMRO's involvement in the promotion and growth of collective management on the African continent. SAMRO has taken a lead in the development of the music and cultural industries in South Africa through fostering partnerships and collaborative efforts. The result has been the establishment of a number of organisations aimed at ensuring that the South African Music industry ranks among the best in the world. In 2005 SAMRO received the Business Day / BASA (Business Arts South Africa) recognition award for its role in youth development.
FX Nuttall, Technology Intelligence Senior Consultant, CISAC FX Nuttall is an independent expert in the field of Digital Copyright. He is currently acting as a senior consultant to CISAC (International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers) providing insight to Author's Societies on the evolution of the new Digital environment. With strong expertise in Digital Rights Management (DRM), FX is a contributor to many international technical forums such as MPEG, DDEX or Moebius and a frequent speaker at Media Industry conferences. Prior to his work for CISAC, FX Nuttall was a consultant for various Music Industry Trade Organizations before becoming the founder and CEO of AudioSoft, a US based company that pioneered the tracking of copyrighted content on the Internet. Throughout his career, FX Nuttall has contributed to many publications from Electro-Acoustics courses to DRMs and is the co-author of a book on MPEG-21, an ISO Standard for the management and the protection of Digital content. FX holds degrees in physics and mathematics and wrote various patents in the field of DRM and Audio Compression.
CISAC, the International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers, aims at increasing both the recognition and protection of creators' rights worldwide. In a global and digital world, CISAC's main missions are to reinforce the international network of copyright societies, to be their spokesperson in all international debates and to reassert authors' inalienable right to live by their creative work. With 217 authors' societies from 114 countries as its members, CISAC represents more than 2.5 million creators and editors of artistic works in all genres including music, drama, literature, audiovisual, photography and the visual arts. In 2005, the royalties collected by CISAC's member societies in their respective national territories topped €6.746bn. Founded in 1926, CISAC is a non-governmental, non-for-profit organisation with worldwide headquarters in France and regional offices in Budapest, Buenos Aires, Johannesburg and Singapore.www.cisac.org

Gerhard Pfenning, General Manager, BILD-KUNST (Germany)
Emma Pike, Chief Executive, British Music Rights (UK) Emma Pike is Chief Executive of British Music Rights, an umbrella organisation which acts as the consensus voice for more than 50,000 composers, songwriters, music publishers and their UK collecting society, the MCPS-PRS Alliance. In recent years, British Music Rights has prioritised copyright education in schools as part of a wider government affairs agenda. BMR is currently working closely with Young Enterprise to develop and roll out nationwide the "Young Enterprise QuickStart Music Programme" which provides 14-19 year olds with the resources to set up and run their own music companies within schools. Along the way, the students learn many things, including a practical understanding of how copyright translates creativity into earnings, careers and investment in further creativity. Previous educational initiatives include the 'Respect the Value of Music' lesson plans, launched in secondary schools across the country in 2004. Emma graduated in modern history from St Hugh's College Oxford before practising as a lawyer in the UK and Italy specialising in intellectual property. She joined the music industry in 2002 as IFPI's European Affairs and International Trade Executive before becoming Chief Executive of British Music Rights in 2004.
British Music Rights was established in 1996 to provide a single voice to government, the press and the public on behalf of over 50,000 UK composers, songwriters, music publishers and their UK collecting society, the MCPS-PRS Alliance. BMR has a targeted Government affairs programme focussing on UK, EU and International copyright law, copyright education and awareness, broadcasting, digital technology and the creative economy. Our member organisations are the British Academy of Composers and Songwriters, the Music Publishers Association, the Mechanical-Copyright Protection Society and the Performing Right Society.
Steve Porter, Chief Executive, MCPS-PRS Alliance (UK) Steve Porter is Chief Executive of the MCPS-PRS Alliance - one of Europe's leading royalty collecting societies, which licenses music rights and pays royalties to 50,000 composers, songwriters and music publishers in the UK and many thousands more around the world. Steve joined the Alliance in 1998 having worked in senior management positions in the record industry and with Price Waterhouse in London. His experience of the music industry and of working with other collecting societies globally, together with his commitment to improved service for members and customers alike makes him ideally suited to drive the MCPS-PRS Alliance forward. Steve recently led the Alliance team in negotiations with Swedish society, STIM, that led to their announcing a joint initiative to create a new world class processing centre for music rights administration - ICE. He is Chairman of CELAS, the Central European Licensing and Administration Service, operated by the MCPS-PRS Alliance and GEMA to license EMI Music Publishing's catalogue for online and mobile usage.
MCPS and PRS are the not-for-profit UK collecting societies that ensure composers, songwriters and publishers are paid royalties when their music is used: from live performance to TV and radio, CDs to DVDs, downloads, streams and everything in between. Royalties create a future for music by supporting creators while they continue to write. MCPS and PRS are committed to delivering maximum royalties and world-class service. They work together in an operational alliance to get the best value for the music use of composers and songwriters everywhere. www.mcps-prs-alliance.co.uk
Odile Quintin, Director General, DG Education and Culture, European Commission Born on 22 April 1945 in Lyons (France) TRAINING
Graduate of Public Law and Political Science (Lyons, 1967)
Master Degree in Public law and Political Science and B.A. in Philosophy and History (1968)
Masters degree in Comparative law studies
Fluent English (Cambridge Proficiency, 1964) PROFESSIONAL CAREER
Researcher at the inter-University Institute of Comparative Law (Brussels, 1970)
Expert for the EuropeanCommission (Brussels, 1970)
Official at the European Commission since 1971
DG Agriculture (Fisheries) - Administrator
Fishing rights, accession negotiations, international conventions, maritime law (1971-1974)
DG Foreign Affairs - Administrator, then later principal Administrator
The North-South dialogue, agreements on products, raw materials (1974-1978)
Desk Officer- EC-Japan relations (1978-1980)
Relations with the Eastern European countries - general and multilateral problems = COMECON.
Conference on safety and co-operation in Europe (Madrid Conference).
The Economic Commission of the United Nations for Europe (1980-1982)
Employment and Social Affairs
1982 - 1988, Head of the Service for Employment and Equality for women
1989 - 1994, Head of the Division "Social Security and Social Actions
1994 - 1995, European Social Fund Director - Implementation
1995 - 1996, Director of Employment and the labour Market
Since 1 March 1996, Director of Social Dialogue, Social Rights and questions of Equality
1998-2000 Acting Deputy Director-General of DG Employment and Social Affairs
2000 - 2005, Director-General of DG Employment and Social Affairs
Since 1 January 2006, Director-General of DG Education and Culture Author of several articles and publications on various Community policies : North-South, Relations EC-Japan, Social Policy.
Tim Renner, Founder & Managing Director, Motor FM (Germany) Tim Renner was born on December 1st 1964 in Berlin. In 1986 he joined the Polydor label. He signed the Berlin based band Element Of Crime and his first chart hit was with the pop avant-gardist Phillip Boa from Dortmund. In 1989 he took over the management of the new founded Polydor Progressive Music Division. Five years later, he established a new record label within the Polygram Group, the Motor Music Ltd. which he ran as the Managing Director. In 1998 when PolyGram merged with Universal to Universal Music Germany, Tim Renner took over the position as President Music. At the beginning of 2004, when Universal wanted to part from many national artists and to alter the company´s structure in a significant way, Renner resigned. After a journey around the world Renner published a book about the media industry in September 2004 and is one of a hundred managers worldwide who have been nominated as global leader for tomorrow by the world economic forum (Geneva/ Davos). Half a year after Tim Renner left his seat at Universal, he first reanimated the brand Motor through the re-launch of the German alternative-music web portal www.motor.de, and further on with the spectacular launch of the radio-station Motor FM.
We always offered alternatives to casted bands and one-hit wonders. Authenticity, independence, provocation and a little rebellion. The belief in music gave us strength, and it is going to push us further. Motor Music has produced innovations. Since its formation in 1995, the company has consistently discovered new artists that prospered off the mainstream. Westbam and Marusha, techno pioneers. Tocotronic and Sportfreunde Stiller, figureheads of the German indie scene. Rammstein, Germany's international bestseller. We are not mere music vendors, we also want to incite collaborations and concepts all around progressive music. Agencies or brand leaders, big or small - contact us, if together with us you want to make concepts and ideas reality. Since early 2005, Motor music has been major-independent. Tim Renner, founder and head of Motor Music, is personally involved in creating concepts and ideas for artists, bands and particularly for music fans.
Victor Hugo Rascón Banda, Playwright and Author, Vice President of CISAC and Chairman/Director General of SOGEM (Mexico) Victor Hugo Rascón Banda is President of the General Society of Mexican Writers (SOGEM - elected in 1999) and Vice-President of the International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers (CISAC - elected in September 2002). For over 20 years, he has exercised two professions at the same, playwright, script writer for film and television and executive officer of banking institutions. Defender of authors' rights, he also actively participates in the defence of Mexican authors' societies and has promoted important legal reforms to improve the Federal Copyright Law. In 1999, he was the co-ordinator of the Mexican Delegation of the Bilateral Committee Mexico/US for the promotion of the Cinematographic Industry. His plays and literary work of socially critic and political content, that have won important national and international awards, talk of immigrants, drugs traffic, financial crisis, guerrilla, indigenous masks and urban violence.
SOGEM (Sociedad General de Escritores de México) is the Mexican Writers' Guild. Besides giving the usual protection to the copyright of authors, it has the oldest School of Creative Writing (Escuela de Escritores) in Mexico. Some of the young authors that have come out of the school are Mario González Suárez, Alejandra Bernal, Joserra, Alberto Chimal, Gerardo de la Cruz, Guillermo Vega and Gonzalo Soltero.
Pascal Rogard, Director General, SACD (France) Born in 1949, Pascal Rogard graduated in public law from the Institute of Political Studies in Paris. He began his career by creating a theatre company and staging several plays and, from 1981 to 31 October 2003, held various offices within a number of professional bodies, in particular as:
Secretary General of the Federation of Producers and Exporters of French Films;
Secretary General of the C.I.C.C.E. (Committee of the Cinematographic and Audiovisual Industries of the European Communities and Extra-Community Europe); and Delegate General of the A.R.P. (Society of Authors, Directors and Producers). On 1 January 2004, Pascal Rogard was appointed Director General of the Society of Dramatic Authors and Composers (SACD) and chairs the French Coalition for Cultural Diversity. Since July 2005, Pascal Rogard has been Chairman of the Reading Committee and Audiovisual Production Support Committee of the Rhône-Alpes region. Pascal Rogard is also a Knight of the Legion of Honour, an Officer of the National Order of Merit and a Commander of Arts and Letters.
Created in 1777 on an initiative taken by French playwright Beaumarchais, the SACD is the oldest authors rights' collective management society in the world. Even from the early days of the Revolution, the legislator called for the protection of authors and their rights, asserting that "the most sacred, the most unassailable and the most personal of possessions is the fruit of a writer's thought". Since its foundation, the SACD has channelled its energy towards the collection and distribution of royalties for its 44,000 author members representing all repertoires from the performing arts and audiovisual sector: playwrights, choreographers, theatre directors, composers, film directors, scriptwriters, etc.
Hervè Rony, Director General, Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique SNEP (france) Hervé RONY holds a doctorate in law and has been the Director General of SNEP, the French recording industry association, since July 1994. Prior to that, he was the General Manager of the FM Maxximum network (1990/1991), then Adviser to the General Management of RTL (1991/1994). He began his career as a project leader in the legal and technical information department of the Ministry of Culture and Communications and then in the legal department of the broadcasting regulatory authorities CNCL and the Conseil Supérieur de l'Audiovisuel.
SNEP
Created in 1922, the SNEP gathers today forty two members, majors and indies, who represent approximately 80 % of the market: manufacturers, recording producers and editors, distributors.
The SNEP is their spokesman and their representative with the government, other professional organizations and medias.
The SNEP is the French national group of the IFPI (international federation which represents the phonographic industry). IFPI counts more than 1 400 producers and distributors in 76 countries.
The activities of the SNEP cover all the legal, economic, social, tax issues of the profession. Besides, the SNEP has a mission of information and communication.
The SNEP gives the official awards of the profession (silver, gold, platinum and diamond). It takes care of the respect of the professional deontology.
The members of the SNEP are in addition members of an economic interest group (GIEEPA) in charge of the management of issues linked to economic nature : publication of the record sales, charts run by IFOP TITE LIVE, radio airplay and club charts run by YACAST.
Heijo Ruijsenaars, Legal Advisor, EBU After studying law in Amsterdam, where he specialized in intellectual property, he worked as a solicitor in entertainment law for a German law firm in Munich. An internship at the Corporate Legal Division of the Walt Disney Company, Burbank (USA) in 1988-1989 enabled him to gain further insight into the management of rights concerning character merchandising. Between 1990 and 1997 he was a staff member at the renowned Max Planck Institute for Foreign and International Patent, Copyright and Competition Law, in Munich. In 1997, he obtained a doctorate with a comparative law thesis on character merchandising, from the University of Leiden (the Netherlands). He was also a member of the AIPPI Working Committee on Question 129 - Legal Aspects of Merchandising, which resulted in the first international framework of the law relating to merchandising. It is a subject on which he has given several lectures and published numerous articles. Since 1998 he has been a Legal Adviser at the European Broadcasting Union in Geneva, where he deals primarily with copyright, trademarks and sports broadcasting.
The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) is the largest association of national broadcasters in the world (74 active Members, 43 associate Members). The EBU helps public service broadcasters to deliver unique high quality programming to their audiences. It offers Members technical, operational and legal services, and coordinates a growing supply of quality content for radio, television and new platforms. It provides Members with information and analysis on media trends, and training designed to meet their needs. The EBU works to secure recognition of the crucial role of public service broadcasters in the digital audiovisual landscape.
Mark Selby, Vice President Sales & Multimedia, Nokia (UK) Mark Selby, a recognized authority on mobile data services, having worked in the mobile, media and IT industries for over 20 years, currently serves as Vice President Multimedia, for Nokia. Mark Selby has global responsibility for the implementation of Nokia's multimedia experiences, including Mobile TV, audio and video services, social media and networks. Mark Selby joined Nokia in 2004, and held various positions including Vice President Content Publishing and Vice President Rich Media and Music. Prior to joining Nokia, he was Senior Vice President at Mark McCormack's IMG Media, responsible for the group's mobile activities in sports, entertainment, TV, radio and online, including rights and production. IMG is the world's leading sports marketing company and the largest independent sports TV producer through its TWI subsidiary. Mark Selby was formerly CEO of Mobile Channel Network, which produced a range of mobile data content services including Essential Sports, MTV mobile, Big Brother and Mobile Ibiza. He has worked closely with many rights holders, including Manchester United and Liverpool Football Clubs, the International Rugby Board, International Olympic Committee, musicians, athletes and models. Mark Selby's previous roles include President of Solid Information Technology, Executive Director Health On the Net Foundation, President Internet Society, Geneva, radio producer and presenter at WRG-FM, board member of Linux International and senior executive roles at Digital Equipment Corp. and Xerox. He was appointed Expert to the European Commission on EDI in 1987.
Nokia is the world's largest manufacturer of mobile devices; a leader in equipment, services and solutions for network operators; and a driving force in bringing mobility to businesses. Nokia is about enhancing communication and exploring new ways to exchange information. In short, Nokia is about connecting people. In 2005, Nokia's net sales totaled EUR 34.2 billion. The company has 15 manufacturing facilities in nine countries and research and development centers in 11 countries. At the end of 2005, Nokia employed approximately 58,900 people. Nokia is a broadly held company with listings on the Helsinki, Stockholm, Frankfurt and New York stock exchanges.
Ted Shapiro, Deputy Managing Director, VP & General Counsel- Europe, Motion Picture Association (Belgium) Ted Shapiro, Deputy Managing Director, Vice President and General Counsel - Europe - Motion Picture Association (Brussels), is responsible for the MPA's European legal affairs including representing the interests of the MPA's member companies in Europe and advising them on industry matters related to copyright (in particular new media), audiovisual law (including 'casting regulation), competition matters, international private law, data protection and international trade law as well as litigation oversight on industry-related matters, such as technological measures, and support to the Anti-Piracy department on enforcement matters. Mr. Shapiro also represents the MPA on content protection matters in Europe in industry consortia and standards bodies such as the Digital Video Broadcasting project. He also works with the Rights Management Policy & Relations department on the legal aspects of negotiations and relations with collecting societies such as AGICOA (audiovisual producers' collecting society). Ted is admitted to practice in Massachusetts and England/Wales. He has a LL.M. from the University of Amsterdam, a J.D. from the Dickinson School of Law and B.A. from Connecticut College.
Extending from Iceland in the North to the most southerly tip of South Africa; and from Ireland in the West to the furthest borders of Russia in the East and points in between, the EMEA office of the MPA based in Brussels represents the interests of the six major US producers in an incredibly diverse market. MPA member companies comprise: Buena Vista International, Inc.; Paramount Pictures Corporation; Sony Pictures Releasing International Corporation.; Twentieth Century Fox International Corporation; Universal International Films, Inc; and Warner Bros. Pictures International, a division of Warner Bros. Pictures Inc. Among the key priorities is protecting the Studios' intellectual property rights (through legislation, technology and enforcement). General MPA responsibilities in the region include: EU and government relations; the direction of an anti-piracy program.