RECORDING ACADEMY STILL HOPING FOR REFORMS TO CONSENT DECREE

The Recording Academy isn’t happy about the DOJ’s ruling against making changes to the Consent Decree, but believes that all is not lost.

In a letter to members, the Academy’s D.C.-based Advocacy Team synopsized in detail the last three years of continuing dialogue between the PROs and the DOJ, while underscoring the Academy’s own advocacy of reforms to the decree.

The concluding paragraph reads as follows:

“Although the outcome of DOJ’s review is disappointing, it is important to note that this is not the end of the process. DOJ must still make its recommendations public, negotiate the recommendations with the affected PROs, and get the recommendations approved by a federal judge. The PROs and DOJ could also settle these issues in court. Finally, it is also possible that Congress could intervene to resolve these issues and protect songwriters as we suggested last year. In our briefing, the DOJ even acknowledged that a legislative solution may be preferable. Once the decision is final, DOJ will give the parties one year to make the transition to full work licensing. Please be assured that The Academy’s Advocacy Team in Washington will continue to engage directly with DOJ, the PROs and our congressional allies to protect the interests of our songwriter members.”