Shearman & Sterling has been named a founding member of the legal advisory board of The Copyright Alliance, a non-profit, non-partisan organization that promotes the cultural and economic benefits of copyright.
Selected for their experience with copyright law issues, the 14 law firms on the board will work with the Alliance and its membership to advance copyright strategy and develop a variety of projects and programs, including providing assistance to individual artists and creators; hosting educational events and webinars; expanding work with law schools and young lawyers, and contributing writing and research.
“This Board will be invaluable to the Copyright Alliance and its members,” said Sandra Aistars, Copyright Alliance Executive Director. “The Alliance has actively developed grassroots, public, and educational programs. Closer engagement with colleagues and thought leaders in the legal community will bring an important new perspective and talent pool to the Alliance, and allow us to serve the needs of the creative community better. I am particularly pleased that these firms are helping launch this initiative. They have been a trusted source of legal guidance for many in the copyright world for years and we value their expertise.”
Added Shearman & Sterling litigation partner Stuart Baskin, "We are very pleased to be a founding member of the Alliance. Our firm has a long history of serving clients in this important area, and we anticipate continued focus and attention on copyright matters within the global business community in the months and years to come."
The Copyright Alliance’s membership is made up of individual artists, teachers, and lawyers as well as institutions such as corporations, trade associations, and artists’ guilds and unions. Its members include: American Association of Independent Music; American Federation of Television & Radio Artists; American Intellectual Property Law Association; American Photographic Artists; American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers; American Society of Media Photographers; Association of American Publishers; Association of Independent Music Publishers; Association of Magazine Media; Broadcast Music, Inc.; Business Software Alliance; CBS Corporation; Church Music Publishers Association; Directors Guild of America; Graphic Artists Guild; Motion Picture Association of America; National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR); National Association of Broadcasters; National Collegiate Athletic Association; National Music Publishers' Association; National Basketball Association Properties, Inc.; NBC Universal; News Corporation; Newspaper Association of America; Picture Archive Council of America; PPL and VPL; Professional Photographers of America; Professional School Photographers Association; Recording Industry Association of America; Reed Elsevier; SESAC; Software & Information Industry Association; Sony Pictures Entertainment; Time Warner; Universal Music Group; Viacom; The Walt Disney Company; and Writers Guild of America, West.