Independent Lens Community Cinema: Copyright Criminals

Can you own a sound? It depends who you ask. Hip-hop artists like Public Enemy and De La Soul have been re-using portions of previously recorded music in new and original compositions for years. But when record company lawyers got involved everything changed. Trace the rise of hip-hop through the practice of sampling from the urban streets of New York to its current status as a multibillion-dollar industry in this film by Benjamin Franzen and Kembrew McLeod.
Following the screening, BMAC trustee Joseph LoMonaco will moderate a panel discussion and Q&A featuring Billy Straus, William Edelglass, and others to be announced.

Billy Straus is an Emmy Award winning musician and producer. His songs have appeared in films including Steve Martin's "Leap Of Faith," Disney's "Little Einsteins" and the PBS series "Where In The World Is Carmen San Diego." His original Broadway Cast recording of "The Full Monty" received a Grammy nomination. He has worked with artists as diverse Bruce Springsteen, Tito Puente, Joni Mitchell, and Miles Davis. Straus founded Rock River Music, a leading producer of recorded music and CD compilations. He has given testimony on copyright legislation to the US Senate Judiciary Committee at the request of Senator Leahy.

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