By John Eggerton, Broadcasting & Cable Online, 10-11-18
President Donald Trump Thursday (Oct. 11) signed the Hatch-Goodlatte Music Modernization Act, which updates the music licensing framework for the digital age and provides congressional overnight of a Justice Department review of long-standing consent decrees with ASCAP and BMI.
While the bill includes providing payments for previously uncompensated artists, the President joked that he should have gotten some free music out of the musicians in attendance.
Among those at the signing ceremony, in addition to the requisite legislators and administration officials, were Beach Boy Mike Love, Kid Rock, and John Rich of Big & Rich.
The act incorporates a trio of bills. The base Modernization Act creates a single licensing entity for reproduction rights for digital uses, like those of Spotify, Pandora, Google, Apple and Amazon. It also randomly assigns judges to preside over ASCAP and BMI rate-setting cases. » Read More