Music Licensing Reform

As a result of complaints generated by the Digital Media Association, a section of the copyright law, Section 115, is being challenged within Congress. More specifically, online licensees have cited the difficulty in obtaining mechanical licenses from publishers for use on the Internet. In response to these claims and in an effort to be helpful, ASCAP joined with NMPA and other organizations to put forth a proposal that would greatly streamline the current process, by providing a one-stop model that would satisfy both licensees and copyright holders. This directly addressed the issue.

Surprisingly, DiMA countered with an offer to create a system for licensing that was more complicated than the existing proposal that had been made to them by ASCAP, NMPA and our allies. In an attempt to assist in this conflict, the Copyright Office put forth a plan of its own that also added, rather than reduced, complications.

In response to the movement in Congress surrounding 115, ASCAP has launched a grass-roots effort to convey our position on this issue to members of Congress. To this end, a group of 10 ASCAP members from Florida met with Congressman Ric Keller on July 28. It was an opportunity to discuss the current legislative impasse and the potentially adverse impact the counter-proposal could have on songwriters. ASCAP is also targeting as part of its grass-roots campaign, thirty select Federal legislators in various districts and states throughout the US, all of whom are members of important Judiciary committees, which will review this legislation. In the coming weeks, each of these legislators will meet with ASCAP members from their respective districts.