Washington — The House Judiciary Committee convenes on Wednesday to mark up legislation that will significantly change the regulation of online music. Included among the bills that the Committee plans to mark up is the Music Modernization Act, which aims to modernize the licensing of digital music rights. The legislation also includes titles which partially federalize pre-1972 sound recordings currently regulated under state law, and allocate certain rights to music producers. These provisions are referred to as the CLASSICS Act and AMP Act, respectively.
The Computer & Communications Industry Association has supported balanced copyright policies and updates to bring the music licensing system into the digital age for more than 20 years. The following can be attributed to CCIA President & CEO Ed Black:
“The Music Modernization Act is a good compromise solution to bring the licensing of digital music into the 21st century. For too long, obscure rights, complex licensing, and out-of-date processes have hamstrung digital music services and denied consumers access to music. Chairman Goodlatte should be commended for making music copyright modernization a priority during his tenure.”