Music & Margaritas: Preview Party for Conexion Americas' Annual Breakfast

How lucky was it to stumble upon the first night of incredible weather in early April when we held a garden party kicking off the annual breakfast for my favorite non-profit in town Conexion Americas? 

We called it "Music & Margaritas." 

Everyone expected a good margarita and some great conversation, but no one expected to hear "Rumba," the number one band in Nashville's corporate band challenge, hosted by the Arts & Business Council!  When my friend Leon said he would take care of the music, we thought he meant he and another guy would bring their guitars, but he showed up with an entire Latino rock band.  Incredible. 

Conexion Americas serves as a bridge between the established community in Nashville and the recently-arriving Latino community.  Its mission is to promote the social, economic and civic advancement of Latino families in Middle Tennessee.  It was a great chance for friends to learn about the amazing work of Conexion Americas, and a great opportunity for Conexion Americas to make some new friends.

Mark your calendars for the annual breakfast on May 26 at 7:30am at Loews Vanderbilt!

Here are some photos from Music & Margaritas:

Want to Limit Liability Against Copyright Infringement Claims when Hosting User Content on your Website?

If you host a website that invites the public to submit content, often called UGC (or User Generated Content), you may want to read the recent summary judgment decision in Arista Records LLC v. Myxer Inc. and stay tuned to the final outcome at trial.  Website hosts that allow UGC run the risk of being sued for copyright infringement, among other claims, because users sometimes submit material whose copyright belongs to someone else.  If a copyright owner sues you for copyright infringement in your role as a website host, one of the most common defenses asserted is that the web hosting is protected under the DMCA (Digital Millennium Copyright Act). 

On April 1, 2011, a federal court in California issued the above decision in a case pitting content owners against website hosts.  UMG Records and other music companies sued Myxer and its principals for copyright infringement because Myxer hosts a website that invites the public to upload music and then download it as ring tones on cell phones.  Myxer doesn't pay UMG anything, and UMG argues that it loses money every time a ring tone is downloaded through Myxer.

Myxer asserted two primary defenses: that its use was fair use and that it was protected by the DMCA's "safe harbors."  On summary judgment, the court rejected Myxer's fair use defense, finding that converting the songs into ring tones did not qualify as a "transformative" use and finding that Myxer's business model likely cut into UMG's market. 

But the court kept alive Myxer's DMCA defense.  It found that genuine issues of fact existed regarding Myxer's implementation of a DMCA policy and regarding the speed with which it removed allegedly infringing material.  Now it will be up to Myxer to prevail on this defense at trial.

Just like Myxer is hoping to do, businesses that allow the public to post content on their websites may limit their liability against copyright infringement lawsuits by following some steps under the DMCA.  As a ground rule, if you create or direct content on your website that infringes on another's copyright, you can't turn to the DMCA for help.  But if all you do is host content created by others, to get the benefits of DMCA protection you need to (1) adopt a  DMCA policy and communicate it to your users, (2) appoint a DMCA agent, (3) follow the DMCA steps of quickly responding to accusations of hosting material that infringes another's copyright, (4) permanently remove repeat infringers, and (5) receive no financial benefit directly attributable to any infringing activity on your site. 

To read more about how to protect your business under the DMCA, check out this great resource from the EFF (Electronic Frontier Foundation), or contact an attorney with experience in copyrights and intellectual property law.

Griffin Technology Hosts WaterCooler

WaterCooler is a monthly networking event for "young" entrepreneurs.  (I take liberty with use of the word "young" since my co-founder and I are pushing 40, and since we'd like to stay involved for a while.  With that in mind, we include anyone in their 20s, 30s and 40s.)  We started this fun venture in September 2009 and highlight a different local business or expert each time.  Lately we've been enjoying the field trips, visiting Yazoo Brewery, Olive & Sinclair Chocolate Co., and (coming up on April 18) Corsair Distillery.  It's a casual way to meet others who are active in the business, cultural and philanthropic worlds of Nashville.  Hopefully connections will be made at WaterCooler that spur new entrepreneurial and community collaborations.  If you'd like to be added to the list, email me at szralek@bonelaw.com.

Griffin Technology graciously hosted us on April 23.  Jackie Ballinger, its Marketing and PR guru, welcomed each guest and provided us with an incredible array of food and drink.  Also greeting guests as they arrived was this VW bus, which employees use for impromptu meetings, and which Griffin has traveled in for marketing at SXSW and Bonnaroo, to name a few:

Photo courtesy of Griffin Technology

Mark Rowan, Griffin's President, spoke about its background, its international reach and its commitment to Nashville. 

Photo courtesy of Griffin Technology

It was clear that Griffin is a dominant player in the global tech scene, and we're lucky to have it right here in our own backyard.

After, Jackie led us on a tour of their new work space.  We saw the wall of awesome accessory covers, the vending machine stocked with beer, and the work station decked out in action figures -- none of which is a regular feature where most of us work:

In the highest form of flattery (jealousy), everyone decided to ditch their current job and apply to work at Griffin. 

Here are some photos of the event:

Two Easy Ways Social Media Experts can Improve Philanthropy

Many people are ashamed of their birthdays, ashamed of growing older.  Not my mom -- she's lived a rich life and dedicated it to serving others.  We're having a birthday party for her soon, and 40 or 50 friends will be there to help her celebrate.  That's because she's given of herself and made deep connections in her community.  Happy birthday, Mom!  My mother,  my father and countless others are examples of how selfless acts of community involvement provide unbelievable personal returns. 

I had lunch yesterday with the Head of Cabedge himself, Chris Blanz.  (That's the best job title I've ever seen!)  We had a lot of fun and let a ton of ideas fly all around the room.  One of the best issues we discussed was: "How can social media experts/users get involved in the philanthropy of our city?"  Here's two easy ways:

1.  Use social media to spread the word about non-profits.  You do this all day every day about other topics, any way.  For many of you, social media is your job.  Find those non-profits in town that interest you, follow them, and help spread the word about their events and needs.  Big fundraiser coming up?  Think of how many extra people might attend all because you tweet about it.  Cool People Care has a great resource that lets you follow and friend your favorite non-profits.  Facebook has a Causes app to raise funds and awareness of your favorite charities, and SixDegrees.org lets you place donation links on your social networks that directs funds to the charity of your choice.  Easy stuff.  Big results.

2.  Join the board/volunteer your skills with a non-profit.  This is where face-to-face human interaction is invaluable.  Here in Nashville I'm on the board of an organization that I love, where the time I spend feels like sheer fun: Conexion Americas, which serves as a bridge between the recently arriving Latino community and the community of people who have been here a while.  Every non-profit needs help from social media experts to help build bridges to the people they serve and to funders, friends and decision-makers.  These boards need your expertise.  Choose one that interests you.  Don't have any experience on a board?  Then call the CEO and say you want to volunteer for a year.  I promise they'll plug you in.  If you're under 40, apply for the Young Leaders program, which trains you how to sit on a board.  Or contact Hands On Nashville, which offers similar classes.