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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Amy Smorodin
July 25, 2005
(202) 289-8928
   
Copyright Debate Permeates Aspen Agenda
Warner Music Group CEO Bronfman, Others Speak at Summit

WASHINGTON D.C. - Edgar Bronfman, Jr., Chairman and CEO of Warner Music Group, the only stand-alone, publicly traded music company in the U.S., will be featured as one of several high caliber keynote speakers at this year's 11th Annual Aspen Summit, the premier event for business and policy professionals organized by The Progress & Freedom Foundation. This year's conference theme, "Building a Digital Ownership Society: The Place for Property and Commons," permits an agenda packed full of presenters ready to debate the many issues concerning copyright law and policy, including the implications of the landmark Grokster ruling.

Bronfman is the former Executive Vice Chairman of Vivendi Universal, where he engineered the purchase of PolyGram Music, a merger that created Universal Music Group. As head of Warner Music Group, as well as one of the world's largest music publishing companies, Warner/Chappell, Bronfman has aggressively developed new product and distribution opportunities for WMG in the mobile and online music space. Bronfman knows the importance of balancing intellectual property protection with the promotion of innovation that allows consumers to easily access new products.

Bronfman's keynote address will be followed by a panel on "Copyright in the Post-Grokster World," moderated by James V. DeLong, Director of the Center for the Study of Digital Property Rights at The Progress & Freedom Foundation. Panelists will discuss the MGM vs. Grokster decision and its implications for the business and policy sector. Shane Robinson, Chief Strategy & Technology Officer, Hewlett Packard, will represent private stakeholders in the copyright debate. Balancing the discussion from the policymaker prospective will be Ambassador David A. Gross, U.S. Coordinator for International Communications & Information Policy, U.S. Department of State, and Pamela Samuelson, Professor, University of California at Berkeley, School of Information Management and Systems (SIMS) and School of Law.

Concluding the Aspen Summit's focus on copyright issues is Monday evening's copyright informal working dinner, moderated by Solveig Singleton, Senior Fellow at PFF. Attendees will continue to discuss and debate the implications of the Grokster decision, including possible legislation resulting from the ruling. Experts invited to lead the discussion include Sampak Garg, Counsel, House Committee on the Judiciary; Ed Barron, Minority Deputy Chief Counsel, Senate Committee on the Judiciary; Thomas D. Sydnor II, former Counsel on Intellectual Property, Senate Committee on the Judiciary; and Sarah Deutsch, Vice President & Associate General Counsel, Verizon. Aspen Summit attendees are encouraged to participate in one of the five informal working dinners, intended to provide a comfortable forum for off-the-record discussion and debate.

Details about the 2005 PFF Aspen Summit, scheduled for August 21st - August 23rd, can be found on our web site and registration can be performed online. Media as always are welcome to attend for free, and should contact Patrick Ross or Amy Smorodin at 202-289-8928, or pross@pff.org and asmorodin@pff.org, respectively.

The Progress & Freedom Foundation is a market-oriented think tank that studies the digital revolution and its implications for public policy. It is a 501(c)(3) research & educational organization.

 

 

The Progress & Freedom Foundation