Performance Rights Act To Be Reintroduced, Recession Over!
By Nobodaddy on 02-05-2009
Ladies and gentlemen, The Performance Rights Act is back on the air! (Don’t tell me you don’t remember the Performance Rights Act? You know, the law that would require radio stations in the United States to pay royalties to artists and labels for songs they broadcast over the air, and not just to the songwriters? Remember?) Well, anyway, the Act will be reintroduced into the new 111th Congress this week, according to a letter signed by members of the U.S. House of Representatives Judiciary Committee.
What, what’s the matter? You still need more explanation?? Fine: See, songwriters currently receive “royalties” when their songs are broadcast on terrestrial radio, satellite radio, cable, internet, etc. This means that, whenever you hear Rob Thomas warbling on over the speakers in the dentist office about the “women” that he lusts after, the, uh, young man carbuncular or whoever over there in Hollywood Hills who actually came up with the idea gets paid something for it. But the new legislation is aimed at ending the exemption that radio -- terrestrial radio, at least -- need not pay royalties to artists, musicians, and copyright owners. And with all of those deadbeat studio musicians and sleazy music publishers getting paid, we can definitely just kiss this economic downturn goodbye.
Webcasters, satellite radio, cable radio services, and all other non-terrestrial broadcasters already pay both performance and songwriting royalties, as do terrestrial radio stations in every one of the 30 countries that comprise the Organization of Economic Cooperation & Development, except for the stubborn, inch-measuring, pound-weighing United States. The planned legislation, which will be submitted by the chairman of the Judiciary Committee John Conyers; Rep. Howard L. Berman; Rep. Darrell Issa; Rep. Marsha W. Blackburn; and Rep. Paul W. Hodes, was previously introduced in the prior 110th congressional session as H.R. 4789 and in the Senate as S. 2500 on Dec. 18, 2007; but, well, it didn’t pass. By the way, how are all these numbers and abbreviations looking? Do they seem official? Okay, cool, cool. We’re all good, then...
Anyway, artists and labels have been lobbying for artist performance royalties from radio stations for years (duh), while the National Association of Broadcasters has long opposed paying such royalties because it claims that radio play serves as promotion that drives music sales (which in turn, pays those folks anyway). Yo, NAB! Music sales? What music sales???
