Nadler Beats Performance Rights Drum

0

House-of-RepresentativesNew York Democrat Rep. Jerry Nadler is back supporting making over-the-air radio pay copyrights for performance right.


In an Op Ed for The Hill, Nadler writes that while Web pureplays pay for their online streams, rights holders receive nothing when the same music is aired on AM/FM. “The bottom line is that terrestrial radio profits from the intellectual property of recording artists for free,” calling that “a disgrace that needs to be remedied.”

Nadler writes in support of the Fair Play Fair Pay Act which he co-wrote with Tennessee Republican Rep. Marsha Blackburn. (http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/politics/282898-copyright-law-should-play-fair)

NAB has said enacting the measure would effectively make radio pay copyrights twice, ignores the value of local station artist and music promotion and is a jobs killer.

The broadcast trade lobby notes the support of 232 House members and 26 Senators for the Local Radio Freedom Act, a non-binding resolution prohibiting Congress from imposing new fees on local radio stations for airing sound recordings.

“Local radio airplay has launched and sustained the careers of countless artists, while scores of artists have sued record labels for non-payment of royalties. It’s disappointing that Rep. Nadler wants to punish the No. 1 promotional vehicle for the music industry — free and local radio,” said an NAB spokesman in a statement.