Radio Music License Committee Chairman Ed Christian has written a letter to radio stations about a deal the RMLC has put together with Irving Azoff’s Global Music Rights organization. In November, the RMLC filed an antitrust complaint against GMR for what it called anticompetitive behavior. GMR then filed its own lawsuit against the radio industry, calling it a “cartel” and alleging that more than 10,000 U.S. radio stations wrongfully colluded to underpay songwriters to play songs on the radio. The RMLC said Azoff was a bully.
The interim license between the two organizations, according to Christian, will provide stations that choose to accept it the ability to perform GMR compositions during the term of the interim license.
Here’s Christian’s letter in full and a copy of the interim license.
Dear Broadcasters, December 24, 2016
As a further follow-up to my November 22 and November 28, 2016 industry messages, I am writing to let you know that, as the result of further discussions between the RMLC and GMR, GMR will make available to radio stations an interim license. This interim license will provide stations that choose to accept it the ability to perform GMR compositions during the term of the interim license.
While you should contact GMR to determine your specific fee for that interim license, we are attaching to this message a copy of GMR’s interim license agreement. It contains all applicable license terms except your specific fee, which will be conveyed to you by GMR.
We also want to report the following:
- GMR will make the interim license available to all stations that wish to take it (excepting those that have already entered into a license with GMR).
- You have until January 31, 2017 to sign the interim license agreement and pay GMR according to its terms. GMR will not initiate copyright litigation against any station before January 31, 2017.
- The term of the interim license is 9 months, running from January 1, 2017 through September 30, 2017. Any station that signs the interim license agreement by January 31, 2017 and pays the applicable interim license fees will not be subject to copyright infringement claims by GMR for the term of the interim license.
- The license fee is an interim one; that means GMR and you each retains the right to seek a retroactive fee adjustment in future licenses or as a result of the current litigations. We encourage you to promptly contact GMR at l[email protected] to ascertain your specific fee for the interim license.
Best regards,
Ed Christian
RMLC Chairman
