OT(?): song licensing - the new frontier?

[hurricane hugo]

I came across this; thought I'd share:

 

CLONK

 

...to any KC legal minds: am I reading this piece right? It leaves me with the impression that, to use the 1st example that came to mind, former VH bassist Michael Anthony would be able to license the use of any Van Halen song that he played on - over the objections of the other members - because he's listed as a co-writer, even though EVH wrote just about all the band's music and just spread the credits around to keep band member relations smooth.

 

...anyway, thought y'all should see it.

[Joe Muscara]

No songwriter organization I'm familiar with is happy with what the DoJ has decided. Not only have they left the ASCAP & BMI consent decrees in place (that date back to the era of stone knives and bearskins), but this 100% licensing could kill co-writing as we know it.

 

Here's an old post from whiny but sometimes right David Lowery. There are more posts about it on this site since word came out about the decision (which technically isn't final. See the Recording Academy message).

 

The Department of Justice is Assaulting Songwriters Yet Again

 

Literally as I was typing that, I received this letter from The Recording Academy about this subject.

[Joe Muscara]

And this Op-Ed was just published on Billboard.

 

America's Songwriters Deserve Better Than This: Op-Ed

 

David Israelite, head of the National Music Publishers Association, argues that the Dept. of Justice's recent pre-holiday decision is tone deaf at best, disastrous at worst.