PublishingBusiness

As publishing moves deeper into the digital domain, a revolution in rights has erupted. On the network, each transaction – whether a consumer’s e-book “purchase” or a publishing professional’s permissions deal – is, at heart, a rights transaction. In 2013 and beyond, rights will continue their drive to the core of publishing, leading publishers to recognize the critical need to position their businesses for the new, rights-centric world.

This special workshop – including two full-length presentations and a panel discussion – will examine the consequences of the rights revolution, discussing best practices and forward-looking responses to enable simple, automated transactions that deliver value to consumers and maximize return for publishers in a connected, global marketplace. Led by moderator Michael Healy, the discussion will also assess successes and failures in making content assets highly visible and continuously accessible.

The morning opens with Skott Klebe of Copyright Clearance Center on, “The Future of DRM:­ Does Digital Rights Management have a future?”  Software architect and multiple-patent holder Klebe looks at the origins and motivations of DRM software in order to understand its current place in the digital content ecosystem. He will consider the roots and causes of piracy, reviewing some of the most current research to understand where piracy occurs and why. Finally, Klebe will discuss how to place DRM in the portfolio of strategies for managing piracy, learning when to use it— and when not to.

Next up, attorney Devereux Chatillon presents, “Digital No Sale.” When Internet start-ups are sued for copyright infringement, the complaints focus on piracy and services that make copyrighted books, music, and videos available for free. Not so in Capitol Records v. ReDigi, Inc. ­ where the defendant, ReDigi, offered a service that allowed consumers to re-sell unwanted digital files. In March, a Federal Court judge in New York ruled in Capitol’s favor and against ReDigi. Clearly, however, there is growing interest in the question of digital re-sale. But here’s the catch: when it comes to digital, a first sale may not even be a sale, but a license instead.

A Revolution In Rights concludes with a moderated panel discussion, including audience questions, featuring Klebe and Chatillon, as well as literary agent Gail Hochman (president of the Association of Authors Representatives) and Todd Haiken of Outsell, Inc.

Speakers
+ Michael Healy, Executive Director of Author & Publisher Relations, Copyright Clearance Center
+ Skott Klebe, Product Evangelist, Brandt & Hochman Literary Agents
+ Devereux Chatillon, Media and Intellectual Property Attorney
+ Todd Haiken, Director and Lead Analyst, Outsell, Inc.
+ Gail Hochman, President, Brandt & Hochman Literary Agents.