11/14/2023

Associations Join Appeal in Music Licensing Case

A ruling on the appeal is anticipated next year

Last month, the Exhibitions & Conferences Alliance (ECA) and International Association of Venue Managers (IAVM) signed on to an amicus brief in the appeal of a major music licensing rate court decision earlier this year.

In March, New York District Court Judge Louis Stanton ruled in favor of a proposal by Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI), a music rights organization, to increase live music royalty rates by 138 percent by using benchmark rates set by two performing rights organizations: SESAC and GMR.

ECA and IAVM joined the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), Radio Music License Committee (RMLC), National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) and Digital Media Association (DMA) in arguing that the court should have used rates set by ASCAP and BMI, which are legally required to be "reasonable."

Please select this link to read the complete article from Associations Now.