[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 113 (Tuesday, July 26, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1410]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    RETIREMENT OF MARVIN L. BERENSON

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. JOHN CONYERS, JR.

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 26, 2011

  Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I rise to acknowledge the retirement of 
Marvin L. Berenson, the Senior Vice President and General Counsel of 
Broadcast Music, Inc. (``BMI'') after 35 years of service to the 
organization. BMI licenses the public-performing rights on 
approximately 6.5 million musical works on behalf of its 500,000 
affiliated songwriters, composers and music publishers.
  Mr. Berenson joined BMI in 1976 as a member of the legal staff 
specializing in copyright litigation. He was named Senior Vice 
President and General Counsel in 1991. During his tenure, Mr. Berenson 
actively participated in the modernization of copyright law, from the 
Copyright Revision Act of 1976 to the Berne Convention Implementation 
Act of 1988 to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998. On 
multiple occasions, he testified before Congress and the Copyright 
Office, and he served on the staff of the National Information 
Infrastructure Advisory Committee during the Clinton Administration.
  Throughout his legal career, Mr. Berenson honed and maintained a 
reputation for fundamental fairness and good judgment. As part of his 
advocacy, he developed a disarming sense of humor. He fervently 
reflected the spirit and history of BMI as an open collective rights 
licensing organization. During congressional testimony, he explained: 
``Most BMI affiliates are ordinary citizens who receive a modest income 
for the creative efforts of writing music that is publicly performed by 
others. There can be no question that the majority of songwriters are 
not wealthy. They struggle to make a living, day to day, just as the 
average citizen does.''
  Mr. Berenson's present and past industry affiliations include member 
and past Treasurer of the Copyright Society of the USA, member of the 
Board of Directors of the American Copyright Council, staff member of 
the National Information Infrastructure Advisory Council, Executive 
Board of the International Literary and Artistic Association--USA, 
Intellectual Property Organization, American Bar Association--
Intellectual Property Section, and the Association of the Bar of the 
City of New York--Antitrust Section. He also served on the CISAC 
(International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers) 
Technical Committee for the Promotion of Repertoire, and currently 
serves on the CISAC Legal Committee.
  Mr. Berenson graduated from Michigan State University in 1963 and 
from Boston University Law School in 1966. With his spouse Gloria, he 
raised two children, a son Harris and a daughter Allison. The Berensons 
are the proud grandparents of three grandchildren.
  As Del Bryant, BMI's President and CEO, put it: ``Marvin has worked 
diligently and uncompromisingly to protect the interests of 
songwriters, composers and music publishers for the past 35 years, and 
we all in the music industry salute his valuable contributions.'' 
Bryant added that Mr. Berenson would ``be leaving his department and 
BMI in an excellent position to deal with the many complex and 
challenging legal issues we face.''
  Mr. Speaker, because of Mr. Berenson's work, our Nation's 
songwriters, composers and publishers will be the beneficiaries for 
generations to come.

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