Music royalties are generated for the many forms of distribution and reproduction of copyrighted songs. Royalties are a primary source of income for musicians, making it important for them to understand how to protect their copyrights and how to get paid. This presentation will explore these topics and more including how to use other people’s music for your business the right way.

REGISTER HERE: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/526877453647

WHEN: Thursday, February 23, 2023 @ 12 pm EST

WHERE: Online –  Zoom

Presented by the Entrepreneurial Strategy Series and Gearhart Law

OUR SPEAKERS:

Rick Marshall, Assistant General Counsel of DSP Relations for the Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC): Rick Marshall is The MLC’s Assistant General Counsel of DSP Relations. Before joining The MLC, he worked for Warner Music Group as the Senior Director of WMG’s Catalog Legal Affairs Team. Rick also served for several years as an Attorney-Advisor in the Office of the General Counsel at the United States Copyright Office. While at the Office, he worked on the music-related initiatives that ultimately paved the way for the passing of the Music Modernization Act in 2018. Rick has also worked for the RIAA as a law clerk in their Business, Legal, and Legislative Affairs departments and has served as Sr. Staff Attorney to the Chief Judge at Florida’s First District Court of Appeal in Tallahassee, Florida. He holds a Legal Masters degree in Intellectual Property Law from The George Washington University Law School. Read more at: https://www.themlc.com/

Jim Carolan, Top 5 Hit Songwriter/Producer: Jim Carolan is a Multi-Award Winning Billboard Top 5 Hit Songwriter/Producer. His collaboration “I’m Not Coming Down” with Grammy Nominee, Martha Wash was a two week number #2 Hit on the Billboard “Hot Break Out” and “Dance Club” charts in the summer of 2014. With 25 different Dance Re-mixed version of “I’m Not Coming Down” released worldwide charting in the Top 10 on several foreign charts! “I’m Not Coming Down” was included on Martha’s #1 Amazon Best Selling Adult Contemporary CD titled “Something Good.”

Jim has had songs placed in Sony, HBO, Showtime, Fox, NBC, Netflix, Hulu, Comedy Network, CTV Movies and TV shows. He has had over 100 songs recorded around the world by various artist including American Idol, America’s Got Talent and Toyota’s Star Maker contestants! Mr. Carolan splits his time between the tri-state area and Nashville where he regularly writes with Grammy Nominated Hit Songwriters. He is the owner of Big Daddy Songs, a Production/Publishing/Artist Development company. Read more at: https://www.jimcarolanmusic.com/

William Derella, Talent Manager, Producer, Entertainment Executive: William Derella is a seasoned Talent Manager, Producer and Entertainment Executive. He is the former president of DAS Communications, one of the most influential entertainment management companies in the industry, responsible for selling over 300 million albums worldwide and 100+ number one songs globally. The number of Grammy®, MTV®, and American Music Awards his clients have received over the years are too numerous to mention.

The Bronx native got his start working as a production assistant on an Academy Award® winning Best Feature Documentary for HBO with Oscar® winning Actress and Director Lee Grant. Derella continued working in film production with Grant on several Emmy Award® winning TV specials, which ultimately paved the way for his entrance into the music business, where he became a full time Manager repping and developing some of the biggest stars in music.

Over the next 30+ years, he established himself as a prolific talent manager, guiding the careers of global superstars including Wyclef Jean, The Black Eyed Peas, Fergie, Natasha Bedingfield, John Legend, Sean Paul, Prince Royce, Sofia Reyes, Taylor Momsen and The Pretty Reckless, Pixie Lott, The Veronicas, and Grammy® Award nominated producer and songwriter Toby Gad.

In addition to his talent management acumen, Derella’s marketing expertise has been the catalyst behind dozens of successful Fortune 500 brand partnerships for his clients including Apple, HP, Blackberry, Motorola, Frito-Lay, Samsung, Verizon, Target, Adidas, McDonald’s, Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Dr. Pepper, Budweiser, Bacardi, McDonalds and Sprint. He is credited with helping build The Black Eyed Peas and Fergie into global, multi-million dollar brand empires. Read more at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/william-derella-aa61545a/

Helen Smith is our event moderator. Please email her with questions for our guests at: hsmith@gearhartlaw.com.

Helen Smith is a second year J.D. candidate at the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University in White Plains, NY. She is studying to specialize in intellectual property and entertainment law, and is active in several clubs on campus. Helen graduated cum laude from Moravian College, now Moravian University, where she studied vocal performance and business management. While in undergrad, Helen interned with Jim Carolan as a catalog manager, learned more about the Music Modernization Act and the MLC, and handled royalty metadata. This past summer, after attending the Music Business Association’s annual conference in Nashville, TN, Helen was an intellectual property intern at Gearhart Law where she was further exposed to the other areas of IP law. She is on track to graduate early in January 2024 and plans to work in country music.

This event is sponsored by Gearhart Law, a full service Intellectual Property firm specializing in Patent, Trademark and Copyright Law domestically and globally. We serve inventors, entrepreneurs, and established businesses. We can help you strategize and build your IP portfolio based on your business needs. Call us for a free consultation at 908-273-0700 or contact us through https://gearhartlaw.com