House hearing #2 re-treads music licensing issues; hammers radio on performance royalties
by Brad Hill
The Judiciary Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives held its second hearing on music licensing regulations, hosting a panel of music-industry executives who delivered prepared statements and answered questions. As with the first hearing on June 10, four contentious issues framed today’s proceeding:
- Broadcast radio’s exemption from performance royalties
- Pre-1972 recordings unprotected by copyright, and receiving no royalties
- Uneven payments across different types of musicians
- Consent Decrees which govern how ASCAP and BMI collect and distribute songwriter royalties
All four pillars of copyright discontent got some play today. Broadcast radio took a severe beating, but unlike the first hearing, the radio industry was represented. Continue Reading