U.S Copyright Office proposes significant changes to music licensing laws
According to an extremely lengthy, 245-page report, the U.S Copyright Office has proposed a number of significant alterations to existing copyright laws. The current laws in effect were created in 1972, years before the widespread adoption of modern radio and decades before music’s modern streaming powerhouses have taken over.
Researching over a year’s worth of statistics across a wide ranging amount of areas, the agency’s largest proposal is to give copyright owners more power to opt out of deals with online distributors. The report also includes the notion to treat radio stations the same as digital streaming services. The current law deems radio station’s plays as a “promotional tool,” therefore exempting them from having to pay artists royalties.
If the new proposals come to fruition, they would allow copyright owners to gain far more control and discretion over their music. The result might mean a significant overhaul for mainstream radio stations around the United States, who have seen stiff competition from the widespread adoption of modern technology. Many industry heavyweights have since weighed in; ASCAP’s president Paul Williams, Pandora’s director of public affairs Dave Grimald, and the RIAA have all come to the same conclusion via statements given: the system is broken.
Via: Entertainment Weekly
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