It’s hard to believe we’re getting so close to the 2011 Future of Music Policy Summit (Oct. 3-4, Georgetown University, Washington, DC). If you aren’t alrady registered, don’t wait — space fills up fast, and we’d love to have you be a part of the conversation.

The theme of this year’s event is “fast-forward to the future of music.” That’s why we wanted to tip you off about a specific panel that will surely do just that: Killer Apps, Conflicting Law: Remixing Compensation in Music Services, which takes place on Tuesday, October 4 at 9:30 a.m. 

These days, music is everywhere online, but a lot of what is available to hear may not be fully licensed. Nowhere is this more evident than the world of mashups and remixes. As exciting as they are, this form of expression — closely related to sampling — is pushing the envelope of copyright law and compensation.

At FMC, we care about artist compensation on every platform. But we also recognize that creativity and technology can produce some amazing things. With “remix culture” expanding everyday, there is an incredible need to figure out how to strike an appropriate balance between creator’s rights, compensation and new forms of expression. This panel will examine these issues in a lively conversation that includes Dean Garfield CEO and President, Information Technology Industry Council (ITI); Christopher LaRosa Product Manager, Music, YouTube; Jessica Litman John F. Nickoll Professor of Law and Professor of Information, University of Michigan; Larisa Mann Ph.D candidate, Jurisprudence & Social Policy, UC Berkeley Law / Dj Ripley; Omid McDonald Co-founder and CEO, Legitmix; and Peter DiCola Assistant Professor, Northwestern School of Law; Co-Author, Creative License: The Law and Culture of Digital Sampling (moderator).

The panel description will fill you in on all the ground our experts intend to cover:

It’s interesting times in the world of digital music and social expression. Established sites like YouTube remain on the front lines of remix culture, employing novel technologies that could give rightsholders an opportunity to monetize mash-ups. Services like Turntable.fm are changing the way we access, share and review our favorite songs. And LegitMix is delivering remixes in a clever way that promises to satisfy copyright law and help the sampled musician. But are these innovative licensing solutions too clever by half? Definitions regarding “interactive streams” and “public performances” may not be clear enough to cover the hybrid services popping up everywhere. Is our legal ground solid enough for tomorrow’s killer apps? Would permissions and clearances be more efficiently handled through technology? Can federal statute reflect new behaviors among millions of users? How will creators exercise their rights and get paid in this new environment? This panel will explore the legal and technological questions around digital sampling, innovation and compensation.

Check out the official Policy Summit page for more details and breaking news about this must-attend conference. And, as always, FMC is proud to offer Musician Scholarships — click here to apply.

We’ll see you in DC!