DOJ Announces Agenda For Workshop On The Licensing Of Public Performance Rights In The Music Industry

The Department of Justice has released a final agenda for the Antitrust Division’s July 28-29 public workshop on competition in the licensing of public performance rights in the music industry.  The workshop will provide a venue for industry stakeholders to further weigh in on the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) and Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI) consent decrees and their implications for antitrust law enforcement and policy as music distribution continues to evolve through technological innovation.  

“We are fortunate to hear from some of the greatest talents and some of the most experienced executives in the music industry at our workshop. I anticipate an interesting and productive discussion among our esteemed panelists,” said Assistant Attorney General Makan Delrahim of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division.  “While the ASCAP and BMI consent decrees have governed licensing of performance rights for more than 75 years, the music industry has changed significantly in the meantime. We look forward to our panelists and speakers sharing their views on whether these decrees still offer songwriters and musicians the benefit of robust competition today.”

The released agenda includes remarks from Assistant Attorney General Makan Delrahim and distinguished panelists with a wide variety of perspectives on the ASCAP-BMI consent decrees.  Special keynotes will be delivered by LeAnn Rimes, Pharrell, and Jon Bon Jovi, who will share their experiences as songwriters within the current licensing system. The announced panel topics will include whether or not certain terms of the ASCAP and BMI consent decrees should be modified, and whether the decrees are inhibiting innovative business models that may hurt consumers or artists. The panels will include views from the performance rights organizations, songwriters, music publishers, music licensees, legal and economic experts, and other industry stakeholders.

Full Content: DOJ

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