The U.S. Department of Justice is considering changing or scrapping agreements it reached with two music licensing giants more than 70 years ago to freshen them up for the Internet age, the department said in a statement.
The move follows a push from the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) and Broadcast Music Inc (BMI), which license about 90 percent of music heard on online services, in movies, televisions and restaurants.
In a notice that ran in Wednesday’s (June 4, 2014) Wall Street Journal, the DOJ invites interested parties--including songwriters, composers, publishers, licensees and digital service providers--to send commentary on whether the consent decrees meet their goals of protecting competition.
Those comments can be filed electronically HERE or sent to the attention of the chief of the Litigation III section, Antitrust Division, U.S. Dept. of Justice, 450 5th Street, NW, Suite 4000, Washington DC 20001 by August 6, 2014.
While such reviews can take a year or two, some sources indicate that this might be an expedited review. MORE HERE & HERE
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