The U.S. House of Representatives Judiciary Committee has passed the Performing Rights Act, a piece of legislation that would require terrestrial radio stations to pay royalties to performers in broadcasted recordings. A similar royalty exists for satellite and internet radio, but there is of course significant debate over this issue.
While labels and performing artists across the country have reason to be happy, there’s still a long way to go. The bill still needs to pass the full House vote as well as the Senate, not to mention that the version which passed is different than the one originally presented - something that must be addressed in the near future.
Some, like Mike Masnick at Techdirt, have claimed that this bill is merely a “bailout” for the RIAA and artists like Britney Spears. In the face of this rather unsubstantial argument, one would be wise to consider that the United States is one of four governments in the world that does not impose a performance royalty to, you know, pay people for using their work.
The other three countries who are on the same side as us on this issue? North Korea, China and Congo.
Modified Performance Rights Act Passes in the House [MediaBuyerPlanner]
Tags: performance royalty, royalty issues, traditional radio
