Stites & Harbison, PLLC

Tara Aaron is a member of the Intellectual Property & Technology Service Group, concentrating on copyright, trademark, and all manner of transactional matters within the music industry. Prior to joining Stites & Harbison, Ms. Aaron worked on Music Row in publishing, where she managed music catalogues, drafted and negotiated mechanical and synchronization licenses, managed subpublishing portfolios, and helped to evaluate mid-level and back catalogues for purchase and exploitation. As an attorney at Stites & Harbison, Ms. Aaron represents artists and record labels, drafting and negotiating agreements in all aspects of the entertainment industry, including recording, licensing, publishing, and touring. Ms. Aaron also counsels large and small companies in connection with software and technology licensing and protection of their intellectual property.

Recent Assignments

• Represented a small equine technology company in licensing its inventions
• Assisted a small high-tech company with a substantial asset sale and technology license
• Drafted a concert promotion agreement and various venue agreements for a major music festival in the Southeast
• Counseled an investor in a new music publishing company in developing best practices for protecting the investment
• Reviewed a major artist's engagement agreement on behalf of the concert promoter and venue
• Advised a major political campaign with respect to intellectual property issues

Recent Presentations and Publications

• "What Entrepreneurs and Content Creators Need to Know About Business Entities and Intellectual Property," Co-Labs Nashville, Tennessee, June 18, 2010
• "What Entrepreneurs and Content Creators Need to Know About Intellectual Property," Social Media Club of Nashville, Tennessee, May 26, 2010
• "Providing Pro Bono Legal Services After a Disaster," Webcast for TennBarU, May 12, 2010
• "Copyright Basics for Authors and Journalists," American Society of Journalists and Authors, February 19, 2009
• "Copyright Basics for Artists," Co-presenter, Tennessee Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts, May 29, 2008
• Nashville Bar Association, IP Section, Presentation on Louis Vuitton Malletier v. Haute Diggity Dog, LLC (the "Chewy Vuiton case"), March 27, 2008
• "Broadcaster Performance Royalty Debate - ABA IP Section Committee Report," ABA Forum on Intellectual Property and Entertainment Law, Committee on Broadcasting, Sound Recordings and Performing Artists, May 2008
• WKRN-TV interviews Tara Aaron regarding the Keith Urban trademark case, Nashville, Tenn., Feb. 8, 2007

More Than Stites & Harbison

Tara is a member of the Americana Music Association, the Country Music Association, and the National Academy of Recording and Arts and Sciences. She is on the Board of Directors of Ten Thousand Villages Nashville, and a Trustee for the U.S. Copyright Society. She recently completed her third year on the Board of Directors for the Young Lawyers Division of the Tennessee Bar Association, and is a founding member of the tree-planting group "Seedlings in the City."

Before Stites & Harbison

From 2002 to 2004, while at the University of Tennessee, Ms. Aaron clerked for the University's Office of the General Counsel, assisting with a variety of educational and IP-related legal matters.

Besides Stites & Harbison

Tara is learning how to garden, enjoys spending time with her basset hounds, and regularly runs half-marathons.