David Basskin

Born in Toronto, David A. Basskin is President of the Canadian Musical Reproduction Rights Agency Ltd. (CMRRA) and Counsel to the Canadian Music Publishers Association (CMPA). He was educated at the University of Toronto, from which he received his B.A. in 1974, at Osgoode Hall Law School, where he obtained his LL.B. in 1977 and his LL.M. in 1999. In 2003, Mr. Basskin graduated from the M.B.A. program at the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto. Mr. Basskin was called to the bar of Ontario in 1979.

Prior to joining CMRRA and CMPA, Mr. Basskin worked as a Law Clerk to the Chief Justice of the High Court of Ontario, as Corporate Secretary and Legal Counsel to CTV Television Network Ltd. and was a member of the legal department of Nelvana Limited, a major Canadian producer of films and television programs.

Mr. Basskin joined CMRRA and CMPA in September 1989. CMRRA is Canada's largest music licensing agency and licenses music publishing rights on behalf of more thousands of music publishers and copyright owners to record companies, internet music distributors and film and television producers. As CMRRA's President, Mr. Basskin directs the negotiation and administration of the industry-standard agreements for the licensing of music reproduction and distribution on CD's and the Internet.

Mr. Basskin also acts as Counsel to CMRRA's parent body, the Canadian Music Publishers Association (CMPA) and acts as CMPA's advocate in such areas as copyright reform, the information highway, telecommunications and broadcast policy and appears before parliamentary committees, the CRTC and other government bodies.

An experienced public speaker, Mr. Basskin has organized and spoken at a host of seminars, and has addressed a wide range of groups in the music and entertainment industries, with an emphasis on the impact of new and emerging technologies on the cultural and entertainment industries.