U.S. copyright law does not recognize a public performance right for sound recordings. When you hear a record over terrestrial (AM/FM) radio, the broadcaster only pays performance royalties to the composer of the musical composition, while no performance royalties are paid to the owner of the sound recording. Why? Well, for long and complicated reasons but, essentially, because congress wanted to reward the poor composer hunched over his piano but decided that radio play was free record promotion for the owner of the sound recording — and, hence, no need for additional payment since they were making their money through record sales. The United States has lagged behind the rest of the world, which predominantly recognizes this right.
The musicFIRST coalition describes itself as “a partnership of artists and organizations in the music community who support compensating performers for their work when it’s played over the air.” As such, the coalition is dedicated to securing a public performance right for sound recordings.
TODAY, musicFIRST is inviting recording artists, performers and music industry professionals, to join Congressman John Conyers and Sam Moore, former Motown Artists Martha Reeves, Mary Wilson, and Duke Fakir and others for Awareness for Fairness: A Discussion about the Performance Rights Act, H.R. 848, Tuesday, June 2, 2009, 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m., Wayne State University, 471 W. Palmer, Detroit, MI 48202.
For more information about musicFIRST please visit: www.musicfirstcoalition.org
–Matt
