And the NAB has asked the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California to dismiss GMR’s claims against the RMLC. NAB getting into the fight has to do with the Department of Justice siding with RMLC.
The NAB didn’t take kindly to that and let the court know it in this filing.
In its filing, NAB argues the Department of Justice deviated from its historical policy when it recently filed a brief supporting GMR’s claims. See our story on that topic HERE.
Irving Azoff’s GMR is similar to BMI and ASCAP, which radio already pays, and includes artists such as Drake, Bruce Springsteen, Bruno Mars, the Eagles, and Smokey Robinson. Radio stations have been operating directly with GMR in short-term side deals while the lawsuit works its way to trial. RMLC Executive Director Bill Velez told Radio Ink that the two sides were going through the discovery process in the run-up to a trial targeted for late this year.
NAB argues the DOJ has historically protected against illegal activities of performance royalty organizations, as well as allowed for buying collaborations so long as they promote efficiency, and that in its filing the DOJ is encouraging the Court to expand the scope of antitrust law.
RMLC also argued that the DOJ, as an administrative agency, improperly inserted its views into this Federal court proceeding three months late without being asked, and badly misconstrued RMLC’s and GMR’s arguments.
