Songwriters, SESAC Put Differences Aside, Endorse Amended Music Copyright Bill

Songwriters and a performing rights organization put their differences aside Thursday and endorsed a controversial proposal to amend landmark music copyright legislation (see 1807250037). The Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) and the Songwriters of North America (SONA) initially opposed a proposal supported by SESAC and Texas GOP Sens. Ted Cruz and John Cornyn to amend the Mechanical Licensing Collective portion of the Music Modernization Act. The MLC would establish a royalty payment database governed by a board of publishers and songwriters with oversight from the Copyright Office. Cruz and Cornyn spoke against government eliminating private vendors like SESAC from participating in the music market. With songwriters and streaming services apparently unwilling to pay potential added costs from the amendment, NSAI and SONA accused SESAC and its parent Blackstone of introducing a poison pill in a greedy political play to save SESAC’s mechanical rights arm the Harry Fox Agency. The groups, along with the National Music Publishers’ Association, announced joint endorsement of the amendment proposed by Cruz and Cornyn. The provision would “ensure private vendors can continue to participate in the music market, maintaining competition which is beneficial to songwriters and producers,” said the groups. “We share a collective responsibility to help ensure that the MMA benefits all stakeholders in the industry and look forward to the Senate’s consideration of the bill,” said SESAC CEO John Josephson. “We are pleased to have put our differences behind us and support this bill in unanimous harmony,” said NSAI.