Ruth Katz began her employment with EMI back in 1995 as VP in ‘Release Planning’, a position she held for the next few years. Then in 2002 she took the position of VP in EMI’s ‘Content Protection’ department and for the next 7 years she battled against music piracy on behalf of the company.
In March 2009 she left EMI to concentrate on her company ‘Ruth Katz Consultancy Ltd’ which according to the UK government’s Intellectual Property Office website engages in the following activities;
Advisory, negotiating and representational services; legal services; anti-piracy and anti-counterfeiting services; lobbying services; protection of copyright relating to music; investigation services in relation to intellectual property; information and advisory services relating to any of the aforesaid services.
However, Katz didn’t forget her old company. Indeed, she’s currently working hard for EMI trying to contain pre-release music piracy. But that isn’t all she’s doing.
Katz is currently engaged in an education program for primary school children, ostensibly to teach them about music and creativity.
These lessons are being trialled in six schools in the UK and if successful could be extended throughout the whole country. So what is the problem with educating children as young as five about creativity and making music? Well, nothing, but Katz isn’t exactly being upfront about what she’s trying to achieve.
While her current Linkedin profile says Katz has “initiated an education programme for primary schoolchildren to teach them about the broader aspects of creativity and making music,” it didn’t say that before the UK’s Mail on Sunday contacted her about her lessons.
So what did it say a few minutes earlier? Google cache to the rescue;
I have initiated an education programme for primary school children to teach them about copyright and anti piracy. The project has tremendous support from music industry associations most notably the IFPI and UK Music, the EMI Music Sound Foundation, the government department ~ the DSCF along with other music related industries. A pilot programme involving seven schools will go live in September with a full roll-out to English primary schools in September 2010
Busted.
Katz said: “I’m financing the project entirely myself because I believe it’s an important subject.’
In England alone there are more than 17,000 primary schools. If she’s successful and gets her classes rolled out to them all, that’s going to cost a huge amount.
Financing it all her herself? Yeah, right.
