John Jeffrey

Career History

John joined ICANN in September of 2003. John has 18 years of legal and business experience in the technology and entertainment industries to this position and has provided services to individuals, non-profits/trusts, and companies (from startups to Fortune 500 companies) as a dealmaker, litigator, corporate and intellectual property lawyer, and business executive.

Before joining ICANN, John spent four years at the Silicon Valley streaming media/Internet radio start-up Live365, where he was the Executive Vice President of Corporate Strategy and General Counsel. While at Live365, John managed strategic and corporate development, business development, marketing, public relations, and governmental, business & legal affairs. He was actively involved in helping to frame the issues and public discussion surrounding the US Copyright Offices’ Copyright Arbitration Royalty Panel (CARP) relating to Digital Sound Recording Performance Royalties for Webcasting and helped lead a grassroots effort that resulted in the passing of copyright legislation relating to webcasting royalties for small webcasters. John has also managed his own media consulting business, Point Break Media.

John also previously served as Director of Business and Legal Affairs and Senior Counsel of Legal Affairs at global entertainment company, Discovery Communications, Inc.

Previously, John worked as General Counsel and Vice President of Business Affairs at TCI Interactive/AND Interactive, an interactive television and early Internet business incubator and production unit for former global media/cable conglomerate, Telecommunications, Inc. (TCI).

John began his in-house experience at News Corporation working on the business affairs and legal teams at Fox Television, during the launch of their cable television division and first websites. He was a member of the launch team for the cable channels FX and FXM: Movies from Fox.

John started his legal career as a litigation attorney in Los Angeles defending businesses and professionals in United States’ Federal Courts and California State Courts.

John has been a member of the California, US Federal District Court (CD, CA), and US 9th Circuit Court of Appeals legal bar associations since 1988.

Education

John has a political science degree from the University of Dayton, and a law degree from Southwestern University School of Law.

Awards and Honors

In November 2002, John was recognized in the technology industry as #13 in Streaming Magazine's list of the 50 Most Influential People in Streaming Media.

Publications

John has published articles and has been a frequent speaker at legal seminars and trade shows. John has been interviewed and quoted in various media throughout the world on legal and business issues relating to media convergence, intellectual property rights in new media and various Internet-related issues.