”In the digital age, our outdated and unfair...
"In the digital age, our outdated and unfair music licensing policies could totally silence the next generation of songwriters if this Congress delays action on music licensing,” said House Judiciary IP Subcommittee member Doug Collins, R-Ga., in a release (http://1.usa.gov/SsO4Xn)…
Sign up for a free preview to unlock the rest of this article
Timely, relevant coverage of court proceedings and agency rulings involving tariffs, classification, valuation, origin and antidumping and countervailing duties. Each day, Trade Law Daily subscribers receive a daily headline email, in-depth PDF edition and access to all relevant documents via our trade law source document library and website.
Monday on the House Judiciary IP Subcommittee hearing on compulsory music licensing at 10 a.m. in 2141 Rayburn Tuesday (http://1.usa.gov/1oWQCLU). “I will not rest until my bill, the Songwriter Equity Act [SEA], and legislation like it that actually encourages American innovation get swift and thorough consideration,” said Collins, who introduced SEA, HR-4079 Feb. 25 (CD Feb 26 p13). “Terrestrial radio broadcasters continue to deny musicians any right whatsoever to performance royalties for the use of their music, which radio giants use to make billions in annual advertising revenue,” said Neil Portnow, Recording Academy CEO, in prepared testimony (http://1.usa.gov/TB5q5Q). Portnow slammed NAB for opposing performance royalties on terrestrial radio and expressed support for SEA. “Congress should look first and foremost at ways to eliminate government regulation in the songwriting business,” said David Israelite, National Music Publishers’ Association CEO, in prepared testimony (http://1.usa.gov/1kL2ZrG). “But in the absence of a free market, the processes that determine what creators are paid must be improved to attempt to reflect fair market compensation,” said Israelite. Broadcast Music Inc. CEO Michael O'Neill in prepared testimony (http://1.usa.gov/TB7Cdy) suggested four reforms to the consent decree process instituted by the Department of Justice. A “digital rights withdrawal” under the BMI consent decree and BMI’s ability to “license multiple rights” were included as possible reforms, said O'Neill. SEA and the Respecting Senior Performers as Essential Cultural Treasures (RESPECT) Act (HR-4772) “take us in the wrong direction by seeking to create additional anomalies within the music licensing framework which cater to the unique interests of only a limited group of stakeholders,” said Lee Knife, Digital Media Association executive director, in prepared testimony (http://1.usa.gov/1xzeJTt). The RESPECT Act seeks to ensure the payment of performance royalties for pre-'72 sound recordings on digital radio. The bill was introduced by House Judiciary Committee ranking member John Conyers, D-Mich., and House Judiciary IP Subcommittee member George Holding, R-N.C., May 29.