MMA: NOW THE REAL WORK BEGINS
Even in these dire, divided times, bipartisanship is not entirely dead, at least where copyright reform is concerned. Thursday morning, the President signed the Music Modernization Act into law. It's a bill creating a mechanism for updated royalty structures that industryites have overwhelmingly and loudly endorsed for some time; today's signing is a testament to the tireless work of many creators who worked to draft, redraft and pass this puppy. Now they can begin the even more demanding task of implementing its long-desired changes.
But first, the quotes!
“Thanks to the unrelenting efforts of our ASCAP music creator and publisher members, industry partners and champions in Congress, a more sustainable future for songwriters is finally within reach," declared ASCAP CEO Elizabeth Matthews. "The MMA's unanimous passage in the House and Senate proves that the power of music is a great unifier. ASCAP is gratified to have stood alongside creators, music publishers, and many more to make this dream a reality.”
“A young songwriter once wrote, ‘You give a little love and it all comes back to you; You’re gonna be remembered for the things that you say and do.’ Decades later, this could not be more true," added Chairman/Prez Paul Williams. "Songwriters across this country now and in the future will remember those who fought so hard for the Music Modernization Act—both in Congress and across the music industry. On behalf of the music community, we are so thankful for the love and will return the favor with music for generations to come.”
"With the president's signature today, the Music Modernization Act is officially the law of the land," intoned Recording Academy boss Neil Portnow. "As we celebrate the harmony and unity that got us here, we applaud the efforts of the thousands of performers, songwriters, and studio professionals who rallied for historic change to ensure all music creators are compensated fairly when their work is used by digital and satellite music services. We thank the members of Congress who championed this issue throughout the past several years to bring music law into the 21st century."
“With today’s signing of the Music Modernization Act, we mark a historic accomplishment," proclaimed SoundExchange Prexy/CEO Michael Huppe. "But more importantly, we mark what it means. For creators, it means getting paid more fairly. For those who recorded music before 1972, it means assurance you’ll get paid for your work. For songwriters, publishers and producers it means making the digital economy work for you. “SoundExchange’s 170,000-member community was a driving force in getting the bill from the halls of Congress to the White House. When the music industry speaks with one voice, Congress listens. I urge you to stay active because there is much more work to be done before we can truly say all music creators are treated fairly.”
"For years, music professionals have been stuck in an archaic, broken system that made it extremely difficult for music services to locate and pay creatives," noted Sound Royalties founder/CEO Alex Heiche. "This should never happen in any industry, especially not one as centric to our lives as music But today’s landmark passage of the Music Modernization Act is an enormous step in the right direction to correct this wrong and ensure that creatives are fairly compensated for their work. This was a long-awaited and hard-fought victory, and Sound Royalties salutes all those who battled tirelessly to make this dream a reality."
"Today marks a historic step forward for independent music publishers, songwriters, and the entire music industry, as President Trump has signed the Hatch-Goodlatte Music Modernization Act (MMA) into law," reads a joint statement from the heads of the Association of Independent Music Publishers (AIMP). "This marks the first significant federal legislation since 1998’s Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) to address the needs of rights-holders in today’s online age. We can look forward to a variety of long-overdue reforms that will make it easier to negotiate for and collect fair royalty rates while also establishing once and for all that digital services must pay for the use of pre-1972 recordings. In addition, it ensures independent publishers and songwriters a seat at the table for the new mechanical licensing collective. The AIMP is committed to ensuring that the independent publishing community and songwriters are represented fairly in the implementation and enforcement of the MMA, and we look forward to working with our partners across the music and technology industries as we move ahead in this new era. We offer our sincere gratitude to David Israelite and his team at NMPA, to the NSAI and SONA, to Senator Orrin Hatch and Congressmen Bob Goodlatte and Doug Collins, and to all parties from all sides who fought to provide a balanced outcome for all involved.”
