Press Release

NMPA Annual Meeting to Address the State of the Music Industry, Including European Copyright Developments, Internet Litigation, and Licensing Issues

Legendary Motown and R&B Songwriter Lamont Dozier to Receive Lifetime Achievement Award

NEW YORK, May 30, 2002 – Edward P. Murphy, President and CEO, National Music Publishers’ Association, Inc. (NMPA), announced today that this year’s annual meeting will focus on Internet developments, advancements in licensing, and copyright developments in Europe. The state of the NMPA, The Harry Fox Agency, Inc. (HFA), and the music industry in general will also be discussed. The meeting, which will include a reception, will take place on Tuesday, June 18th at the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills, California.

Mr. Murphy will lead the meeting – detailing the state of the NMPA and the music publishing industry.

Gary Churgin, President & CEO, Harry Fox Agency, will report on the state of HFA and its transformation, and licensing in the digital world.

Irwin Z. Robinson, the chairman of the Boards of Directors of NMPA and HFA, and chairman and CEO of Famous Music Corporation, will discuss copyright developments in the world’s largest music market, the European Community.

Providing an update on major litigations – including the Eldred, Napster, UMG, MusicCity and Aimster cases – Peter L. Felcher, Esq., Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison and general counsel to NMPA will highlight the past year’s legal battles.

The NMPA’s President’s Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented to Lamont Dozier, creators’ rights advocate, Motown legend, and master songwriter of timeless hits such as Baby Love, Baby I Need Your Loving, You Can’t Hurry Love, Reach Out, I’ll Be There, How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You), Stop In The Name Of Love, Heat Wave, and It’s The Same Old Song.

The National Music Publishers’ Association, Inc., founded in 1917, works to protect and advance the interests of the music publishing industry. With over 900 members, the NMPA represents the most important and influential music publishing firms throughout the United States.

The Harry Fox Agency, Inc. provides an information source, clearing house and monitoring service for licensing musical copyrights, and acts as licensing agent for more than 27,000 music publisher principals, who in turn represent the interests of more than 160,000 songwriters. Besides the core business functions of licensing, collections and distribution of royalties, HFA conducts periodic record company and other user audits on behalf of its principals. HFA is the licensing affiliate of the National Music Publishers’ Association.