Copyright Formalities as the Bane of African-American Artists from Blues to Hip-Hop

African-American music artists are the foundation for the American music industry, having created entire genres of music, from ragtime and blues to funk music and hip-hop. However, there has been a wide gulf between the creative contributions and innovations of black artists, and their entitlement to ownership and compensation under copyright law. In this talk, Professor Greene will explore the critical role of copyright formalities, such as registration, publication and copyright terminations in facilitating wealth transfers from artists and creators to non-creators like record labels and music publishing companies, with proposals for copyright reform that target the least advantaged in society. This event is co-sponsored by the High Tech Law Institute and the Black Law Student Association (BLSA)