Keith Hauprich

Keith Hauprich serves in BMG’s most senior legal and business affairs role in North America as General Counsel & Senior Vice President, Business and Legal Affairs, North America, BMG.

Previously serving as Deputy General Counsel at BMG, Hauprich has been the driving force behind a number of significant deals, partnerships, and initiatives particularly in digital, film and television music publishing, securing the music publishing rights to major players in the entertainment business including AMC Networks, Hasbro Studios, and Netflix, the world’s leading internet television network.

Hauprich led BMG US as the first major music group to sign a licensing deal with Facebook and more recently Twitch, the Amazon subsidiary live streaming video platform. He has also been responsible for major publishing deals including Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Partners, and video game publisher’s Ubisoft (Assassin’s Creed franchise), interactive entertainment company Activision/Blizzard, and Konami.

Hauprich also played a key role in BMG’s groundbreaking victory against internet service provider Cox Communications on the basis of contributory copyright infringement where it secured a $25M jury verdict and more than $8.5M in costs and disbursements. The case has created a major precedent in the way US law regards the ‘safe harbor’ defense of internet service providers and BMG’s conduct and victory in the case has been widely praised by rights holders.

Hauprich formerly served as general counsel for Cherry Lane Music Publishing Company, Inc., prior to BMG’s acquisition in April 2010. As a member of senior management and a corporate officer of one of the world’s leading independent music publishers, Hauprich was responsible for all legal matters and played a vital role in executing the sale to BMG.
Prior to joining Cherry Lane in 2000, Keith was an associate at a New York City law firm where he worked closely with a diverse range of entertainment-industry based clients including songwriters, producers, managers, and platinum-selling recording artists.