Restructuring Collective Licensing

Joe Gratz writes in his blog and on Pho that Marybeth Peters (The U.S. Register of Copyrights since 1994) testified this morning before the House Subcommittee - urging them to repeal the section 115 compulsory license for the making and distribution of phonorecords of musical works and to restructure the collective licensing of performance and reproduction rights in musical works...She wants to amend Section 115 to facilitate the licensing of nondramatic musical works in a way that will serve the interests of composers and music publishers, record companies and other providers of recorded music, and the consuming public, especially with respect to digital audio transmissions of music...Great, I hope they listen to her as it's long overdue.

Click HERE to read the written testimony...(quite interesting but lengthy)

Apparently, the Register recognizes that "piracy can only be minimized by providing a product consumers want at a price they’re willing to pay...Legal music services can combat piracy only if they can offer what the 'pirates' offer. The majority of consumers would choose to use a legal service if it could offer a comparable product. Right now, illegitimate services clearly offer something that consumers want, lots of music at little or no cost...Reforming Section 115 to provide a streamlined process by which legal music services can clear the rights they need to make music available to consumers will enable these services to compete with, and effectively combat piracy."