Description:

Ike Williams and Patricia Nelson, media and entertainment lawyers for Fish and Richardson, talk about the evolving relationship between the artist and the record company. Mr. Williams looks at copyrights and publishing rights from the point of view of the record label and the artist as creator. He examines the business interests of both and the tension this creates between them. He suggests it would be advantageous to both to work more closely together in our digital world of piracy and illegal downloads. Ms. Nelson discusses the power shift from record companies having total control over music rights to the artist as independent entrepenuer. Today's artists don't need record companies for distribution because they can do so much on their own. The new, easy methods of distribution have had a great impact on the relationship between the artist and the record companies.