Copyright Alliance Commends Introduction of S. 2823 The Music Modernization Act

STATEMENT

Washington, DC In a statement issued today, the Copyright Alliance commended Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT) for introducing the Music Modernization Act (S. 2823) in the Senate, and thanked the many Senators who cosponsored this critical legislation.S. 2823, which mirrors the Music Modernization Act of 2018 (H.R. 5447) that was unanimously passed by the House by a vote of 415-0 last month, will help songwriters to be better compensated for their work and positively impact how music is licensed; enable legacy artists (who recorded music before 1972) to be paid royalties when their music is played on digital radio; and provide a consistent legal process for studio professionals including record producers and engineers to receive royalties for their contributions to music that they help to create.

According to Copyright Alliance CEO Keith Kupferschmid, “Today’s introduction of the Music Modernization Act further attests to the tremendous bipartisan support across the music and tech sectors, as well as from hundreds of thousands of music professionals across the United States. When enacted, S. 2823 and H.R. 5447 will result in the most significant improvement of music copyright law in more than a generation, helping creators across the music industry to make a living through their creativity and use their talents to sustain their music careers.

“After H.R. 5447 passed the House so decisively in April, we urged the Senate to introduce a comprehensive music licensing bill identical to the House bill, and are thrilled with today’s introduction of S. 2823 in advance of next week’s music licensing hearing. In particular, we are grateful for the tremendous support by Senator Hatch, and by all of the senators who cosponsored today’s legislation, for their steadfast leadership on much needed reform for the music and creative communities. Following next week’s hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee, it’s our hope that the Committee will promptly consider and pass this essential piece of legislation.”

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About the Copyright Alliance

The Copyright Alliance is a non-profit, non-partisan public interest and educational organization representing the copyright interests of over 1.8 million individual creators and over 13,000 organizations in the United States, across the spectrum of copyright disciplines. The Copyright Alliance is dedicated to advocating policies that promote and preserve the value of copyright, and to protecting the rights of creators and innovators. For more information, please visit www.copyrightalliance.org.

For media inquiries, contact:

Eileen Bramlet

VP Communications

ebramlet@copyrightalliance.org

571.228.1906