[Editor Charlie: This is why Big Tech is not so secretly opposing the combined Music Modernization Act–they want to strip out the “CLASSICS Act” in the Senate. The question is–who is helping them?]
Nearly three years after major record labels reached a $210 million settlement with SiriusXM over the use of sound recordings created before 1972, a new legal fight has erupted over the licensing of classic songs by such artists as Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan and Simon & Garfunkel.
The 2015 settlement by SiriusXM with ABKCO Music & Records, Sony Music Entertainment, UMG Recordings and Warner Music Group came upon the sudden realization by many that pre-1972 recordings had the potential to be a monster legal headache for radio operators, bars, restaurants, sports stadiums and others. That’s because when Congress chose to bring sound recordings within the purview of the Copyright Act in the mid-1970s, lawmakers chose not to preempt state misappropriation laws for older works. Despite decades of no litigation on this front, record owners began testing big lawsuits against SiriusXM and Pandora for exploiting iconic recordings from the rock and jazz era.
Artist Rights Watch--News for the Artist Rights Advocacy Community 