LOS ANGELES, June 9, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Eric J. Schwartz, a partner in the Washington, D.C. office of Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp (MS&K), has been elected as the new president of The Copyright Society of the USA (CSUSA) for the term of 2014-2016.
The election by the members of the Society was officially held on June 8 at the 2014 CSUSA Annual Meeting, which also coincides with the 60th anniversary of the organization. The CSUSA is the premier organization for the advancement and study of copyright, promoting the creation and dissemination of music, film and television, literature, works of the visual and performing arts and new technologies (computer software, apps, etc.). It also serves as the "center of the U.S. copyright community" -- with its membership consisting of key business people in the arts and technology, lawyers in both private and in-house practice, law professors and law students -- all of whom share a common interest in copyright and related intellectual property rights.
"Eric has established himself as one of the foremost legal experts on copyright law in the nation, so he is an ideal professional to head up the Copyright Society of the USA," said MS&K Managing Partner Thomas P. Lambert. "His expertise in copyright and new technologies is a tremendous asset to our clients and will be of great benefit to the society's membership over the next two years."
Schwartz has more than 25 years of experience as a copyright attorney providing counseling on U.S. and foreign copyright laws - including rights, ownership and enforcement issues - relating to new technology rights, social media, management matters and traditional media. He is also an accomplished transactional attorney on music and film production, software licensing, and all other manner of IP commercial transactions, frequently testifies as an expert witness, is a highly regarded appellate and trial litigation strategist, and provides business counsel on various matters related to the U.S. Copyright Office.
He is an expert on film and music archival legal (i.e., "back catalog") and preservation issues; his pro bono work on film preservation issues was featured in The Washington Post: http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/eric-j-schwartzs-love-of-film-fueled-his-push-for-preservation-of-old-movies/2011/08/11/gIQAa7aoBJ_story.html.
Schwartz is also an adjunct professor of copyright law and international copyright law at the Georgetown University Law Center, and prepares an annually updated (225 page) summary of U.S. copyright law for LexisNexis. He earned his law degree from American University's Washington College of Law and his undergraduate degree from Johns Hopkins University.
About the Copyright Society of the USA
A 501(c) 3 not-for-profit corporation founded in 1953, the Copyright Society of the USA works to advance the study and understanding of copyright law and related rights, the scope of rights in literature, music, art, theater, motion picture, television, computer software, architecture, and other works of authorship, and their distribution via both traditional and new media. For more information, please go to www.csusa.org.
About Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp
For more than 100 years, Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp LLP has maintained a reputation for excellence in providing sophisticated legal and business solutions for its clients in areas that include: Entertainment & New Media, Labor & Employment, Intellectual Property & Technology, Litigation, Immigration, Corporate Transactions, Homeland Security, Tax, Trusts & Estates, Real Estate and International Trade. Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp LLP has offices in Los Angeles, New York and Washington, D.C. For more information, visit http://www.msk.com.