Here’s a deep dive on the so-called Transparency in Music Licensing and Ownership Act. As we have detailed the last two days, the “transparency” and “small business” aspects are a smoke screen to hide the abolishment of certain long held rights by songwriters, in order to favor large digital and broadcasting monopolies. Think about it. In this day and age the government (a Republican no less) is intervening in the marketplace to help some of the largest companies on the planet.
Artist Rights Watch--News for the Artist Rights Advocacy Community
By Chris Castle
“[Government] interference is but the first link of a long chain of repetitions, every subsequent interference being naturally produced by the effects of the preceding.”
James Madison, The Federalist Papers No. 44
There is a bill in Congress backed by the mega lobbying juggernaut called the MIC Coalition that would force songwriters and artists to “register” with the government in order to protect their rights from the biggest corporations in the world. Failing to do so would take away the stick of statutory damages and an award of attorneys fees to songwriters or artists who are victorious in copyright infringement litigation. Statutory damages and attorneys’ fees are the only real protection that the government gives these creators–the smallest of small businesses.
Why? Because the government does virtually nothing to protect the rights of artists. If it weren’t for statutory damages and attorneys’ fees there would be nothing…
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The Trichordist 