22 music community organizations released the following statement on Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Intellectual Property Chairman Thom Tillis’s proposal to restore balance to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), so that it can best achieve its objective to address online infringement while continuing to foster the growth of internet-based services:
“Through a thoughtful, deliberative process, Senator Tillis has developed an important proposal. By digging deep into the substance, engaging a broad universe of stakeholders and experts, and confronting the issues, Senator Tillis and his team have started an important discussion about how best to provide incentives for success.
“It is long past time to restore the balance that was originally intended by Congress in which rightsholders and Internet platforms work together to promote fairness and efficiency in the digital distribution of copyrighted works.
“As the U.S. Copyright Office concluded in its report on the safe harbor provisions contained in the DMCA (including the inefficacy of the notice-and-takedown system), ‘Congress’ original intended balance has been tilted askew.’
“We look forward to working with Chairman Tillis and his colleagues from both parties across both houses of Congress, and our partners across the creative ecosystem, to find workable, effective solutions to the serious and ongoing problem of online infringement.”
The full list of organizations on the joint statement follows.
American Association of Independent Music (A2IM)
American Federation of Musicians (AFM)
Americana Music Association (AMA)
American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP)
Association of Independent Music Publishers (AIMP)
Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI)
Christian Music Trade Association (CMTA)
Church Music Publishers Association (CMPA)
Gospel Music Association (GMA)
International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA)
Living Legends Foundation, Inc.
Music Artists Coalition (MAC)
Music Managers Forum – US (MMF-US)
National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA)
National Songwriters Association International (NSAI)
Recording Academy
Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA)
Rhythm & Blues Foundation, Inc.
Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA)
Society of European Stage Authors and Composers (SESAC)
Songwriters of North America (SONA)
SoundExchange
