Mastodon drummer/vocalist Brann Dailor and guitarist Bill Kelliher are among the musicians to speak in favor of the Music Modernization Act, which was recently passed by a House Judiciary Committee and now awaits approval by the full House Of Representatives. The bill aims to modernize various laws regarding music copyright and licensing, performance royalty rates and more.
Among the bill’s plans are revising compensation for mechanical licensing of material and the establishment of a collective/database governed by publishers and songwriters to oversee the inner workings of mechanical licensing, ensuring proper payment and helping prevent copyright infringement. It also tackles a number of other issues, including artists being compensated for works recorded prior to 1972 and more.
As the bill is a combination of initiatives, it can get a bit complicated, but you can read a newly published piece by Doug Collins (R-Ga), Judy Chu (D-Calif.) on what they hope to achieve over at Variety.
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