Dear Songwriters,
I know that the determination of the Department of Justice (DOJ) on the issue of 100% licensing of US performance rights in musical compositions has weighed heavily on our minds over the past several months. In July, I wrote to you, promising to keep you up-to-date on everything that happens, as it happens.
Today, I am very pleased to inform you of the result of a legal challenge brought by BMI against the DOJ. Just this afternoon, Judge Stanton ruled that the BMI consent decree does not require 100% licensing. As he states: “The consent decree neither bars fractional licensing nor requires full-work licensing.”
While I’m sure this story will continue to unfold, this is a fantastic result which should give us hope that the status quo for US performance rights licensing will not be upended. This is a big win, not just for BMI, but for all publishers and songwriters.
My personal congratulations to the BMI team for this wonderful outcome.
Yours sincerely,
Jon Platt
Chairman & CEO
Warner/Chappell Music
