Cowan, Liebowitz & Latman (CLL) hosted a complimentary continuing legal education program on the subject of Jazz and Copyright Law at Mezzrow Jazz Club on Thursday, October 10. CLL partner and professional jazz pianist Jonny King, with the help of a jazz trio, led the audience through a discussion of the application of copyright law to improvised music. He was joined by top jazz artists, bassist Dezron Douglas and drummer Allan Mednard.
The program covered the basics of copyright in musical compositions and sound recordings, and how they apply to musical arrangements, derivative works, and improvisations (the essence of jazz). Jonny also discussed who pays for the works and who gets paid. As part of CLL’s CLE4Good initiative, CLL is donating $20 for every CLL client who attended the program to the Jazz Foundation of America, a non-profit organization that provides jazz and blues musicians with financial, medical, housing, and legal assistance, as well as performance opportunities.