Songwriter Equity Act Supported by ASCAP President Paul Williams!

As ASCAP, the leading Performing Rights Organization in the U.S., celebrates 100 years of service, they announced support today of the Songwriter Equity Act of 2014. (H.R.4079).

The bill was introduced in Congress by Doug Collins (R-GA) on February 25th of this year and has garnered 13 co-sponsors in support.

According to ASCAP (The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers), the Songwriter Equity Act will help protect the livelihoods of songwriters and composers!  They encourage  you to write to your elected officials and ask them to support the bill.

The Songwriter Equity Act of 2014 -

• Amends federal copyright law regarding the exclusive rights of sound recording copyright owners to remove a provision that prohibits license fees payable for the public performance of sound recordings, by means of a digital audio transmission, from being taken into account in any administrative, judicial, or other governmental proceeding to set or adjust the royalties payable to copyright owners of musical works for the public performance of their works.
• Requires Copyright Royalty Judges (CRJs), when setting royalty rates under the compulsory license available for the reproduction and distribution of musical works (commonly referred to as a "mechanical license"), to establish rates and terms that most clearly represent the rates and terms that would have been negotiated in the marketplace between a willing buyer and seller.
• Requires CRJs, in establishing such rates and terms, to base their decision on marketplace, economic, and use information presented by the participants. Allows consideration of comparable uses and circumstances under voluntary license agreements.

A special Facebook Page has been set up by ASCAP so you can keep up with news regarding the bill.

Singer/Songwriter and ASCAP President Paul Williams, who is headed to Washington D.C. this week in support of the bill, says, "it's time for Washington to stand with songwriters."  He says, "as a result of these outdated laws (the last update was 2001 before the invention of the iPod),  record labels and recording artists routinely earn 12 to 14 times more than songwriters for the exact same stream of a song. And big music companies like Pandora rake in millions in revenue, while many music creators struggle to pay the bills."  His full commentary is published on CQ ROLL CALL