Senate IP Subcommittee Hears from Witnesses on Impact of Proposal to Compensate Artists for Radio Plays

"This is an archaic injustice that's been around for a long time and it's un-American."

"America remains the only democratic nation and one of the few countries globally that does not compensate performers or copyright holders when their songs are played on AM/FM radio,"

"simply economically untenable for local radio broadcasters."

The Senate Subcommittee on Intellectual Property examined proposed legislation to compensate performers for AM/FM radio broadcasts. The United States remains one of the few nations not to require royalties for sound recordings played on terrestrial radio. The American Music Fairness Act would require radio broadcasters to pay royalties to creators while offering small and local stations an exemption permitting unlimited music for $500 a year. Sponsors include Senators Alex Padilla and Marsha Blackburn. Broadcasters warn the law would be economically untenable for local stations because of existing FCC fees and payments to ASCAP, BMI and streaming collectives. Some lawmakers compared the U.S. position to Iran and North Korea.

Read at IPWatchdog.com | Patents & Intellectual Property Law