Variety and InternationalEsq Announce The Variety Media & Entertainment Law Series

Variety, in association with International Esquire has announced the program, topics and panelists for their second 2009 event, which will be held at The Paley Center for Media in Beverly Hills, California on November 19, 2009.

The second installment of The Variety Media & Entertainment Law Series will focus on the music industry’s response to piracy and will feature such topics as innovative sales and distribution models as a solution to the piracy problem, the restriction of digital usage, anti-piracy legislation, and the effectiveness of celebrity and other anti-piracy advertising.

"We are excited to again be partnering with Paul Wright and International Esquire on the second installment of our Media and Entertainment Law Series,” said Variety President, Neil Stiles. "Variety’s objective with this series is to discuss and highlight the often small, but significant areas of the law that greatly influence our industry on a day to day basis. The conversation around piracy in the music industry is absolutely one of the topics that need to be brought to the forefront of the entertainment community.”

"This Series was created to address cutting edge domestic and international entertainment related legal issues,” says Paul Wright, the Founder and Director of International Esquire. "This particular roundtable discussion, fully accredited by the California State Bar, is equally appealing to lawyers and non-lawyers alike, and brings together leaders from all areas of the industry to address music and film piracy with a view to charting a course for the future.”

This second installation of The Series will feature panelists including Tamera Bennett Esq., Leading Music Attorney, Texas & Tennessee; Jim Griffin, Warner Music Group and Choruss, LLC; Kim Guggenheim Esq., Hamburg, Karic, Edwards & Martin LLP, Of Councel (Music and Entertainment); Jim Hillegass, Founder and CEO, J. River; Andrew Schuon, Senior Executive, Ticketmaster Entertainment, Inc. and Owen J. Sloane Esq., Co-chair Entertainment & media Group, Gladstone Michel Weisberg Willner & Sloane, ALC.

Topics covered will include innovative sales and distribution models as a solution to the piracy problem, the pro’s and cons of restricting use digitally, the question of whether we need more or less anti-piracy legislation and the effectiveness of celebrity and other anti-piracy advertising.

Attendees of The 2009 Variety Media & Entertainment Law Series will receive a 1 hour MCLE Credit (pending.)

For more information, visit www.InternationalEsq.com or call 310-317-7014.

To register visit www.variety.com/lawseries.

About International Esquire

International Esquire addresses important domestic and international legal developments. It offers cutting edge, fully accredited Continuing Legal Education programs that feature attorneys and industry executives who are leaders in their fields discussing issues ranging from Celebrity Justice & Media Globalization to the latest Round Table on Music Piracy.

About Variety

Variety is the leading publication for entertainment news, recognized and respected throughout the world of show business. The Variety Group – Daily Variety, Daily Variety Gotham, Weekly Variety, Variety.com, Video Business, Tradeshow Week, LA 411, Variety 411 – are all owned by Reed Business Information (RBI), the largest business publisher in the U.S. RBI is a member of the Reed Elsevier Group plc (NYSE: RUK and ENL).

The use of The Paley Center’s facilities by the sponsor does not constitute endorsement by The Paley Center of the views that may be expressed by the sponsor nor does it constitute endorsement of any programs or screenings which may be presented during the event.