Speaker Biographies
David Stopps - Director, Copyright & Related Rights (MMF UK & International Music Managers Forum). MD Artist Management Company, FML
David Stopps started his career as promoter of the famous Friars Club in Aylesbury.
From 1969-84 he presented pretty much everybody but notably David Bowie, U2, Genesis, The Kinks, The Jam, The Ramones and The Clash amongst many others. In 1982 he went into management originally managing Marillion then Howard Jones and later still, The Fat Lady Sings.
These days he still manages Howard Jones who continues to make albums and tour and who has now sold in excess of 8 million albums worldwide. He also manages Miriam Stockley who as the featured singer with Adiemus has sold in excess of 3 million albums.
Together with his business partner Joseph Stopps he also manages dance mash-up mavericks The Young Punx and Italian multi-genre dance genius Phonat. Stopps is Director of Copyright and Related Rights for the Music Managers Forum UK and for the International Music Managers Forum. He is also a member of the British Copyright Council and is the United Nations representative for The International Music Managers Forum at WIPO (the World Intellectual Property Organisation) in Geneva.
He is often on tour and has already completed extensive tours of USA, Canada, Japan and Australia in 2007/8. At WIPO he represents all featured artists worldwide concerning new international treaty negotiation in the field of copyright and related rights. Stopps is also a member of the Performer Board and the Main Board of UK related rights collection society PPL. He has just completed writing the book "How To Make A Living From Music" which was commissioned by WIPO mainly targeted at the developing world and is due for publication in 2008. In May 2008 he received the MMF Roll of Honour award in London.
