Taking Care of Business: Exploring Copyrights & Royalties

With so much information to sift through and so much of what we learn being trial by fire, it can be challenging to follow the particular nuances of the business side of art. The creative process doesn’t quite end when a piece of music or sound recording is complete. Join Chad Irvin B.M. ‘08 and Matthew Stearns B.M. ‘08 as we discuss the importance of owning our creations and doing all we can to ensure we’re receiving whatever royalties may be owed.

Participants will:

• Review the scope of copyright and the benefits Federal Copyright Registration holds

• Hear recent developments in Copyright legislation

• Discuss the process for registering both Compositions vs. Sound Recording

• Explore common challenges when it comes to receiving royalties

Light refreshments and beverages will be provided.

Panelists:

Matthew Stearns ‘08 is an associate at Kia Kamran, P.C., a boutique entertainment law firm specializing in intellectual property and music transactional agreements. Matthew enjoys problem solving (and long walks on the beach), which fits right in with his passion to achieve the best results for his firm’s clients (the beach not so much). Matthew’s “results” focus applies to a wide array of instances, including negotiating and drafting favorable deals for his firm’s music clients for new entertainment projects and, in a specific instance, successfully defending a popular tribute band from allegations of trademark infringement. As an associate at his firm, Matthew’s practice also includes copyright registration, trademark prosecution, cease and desists for intellectual property infringement, licensing agreements, music agreements and representation of clients in trademark opposition and cancellation proceedings before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board.

Outside of his practice, Matthew continues to compose and perform music on his tenor saxophone. Fun fact: Matthew appeared on local television station KTTV in January of this year to entertain the audience and play on and off special guests during KTTV’s 70th anniversary broadcast. Another fun fact: Matthew’s former music career included sailing the high seas aboard ocean liners where he met his wife (there will be a quiz). Other than performing music, Matthew spends his free time learning new things and meeting new people.

Chad Irvin ‘08 is a Licensing & Royalties Manager at West One Music Group. His professional background is in analyzing and processing performance royalties for both independent music libraries and major entertainment corporations. After graduating from Berklee in 2008, he began working at Broadcast Music Inc. (BMI) in Film/TV Relations and instantly found a passion for representing the performing rights for composers/songwriters and publishers. He has worked with many of the industry leading composers and music houses to help navigate and understand this complex subject, ensuring they are receiving their rightfully due royalties. Chad's current position is at West One Music Group, a global production music library, where he oversees all licensing and royalty distributions for North and South America. Bridging his immense understanding of both the creative and administrative sides of this industry, Chad continuously advocates for the best interest of the artists he represents. His biggest thanks and support go to his wife, Donna, and son, Coltrane.