sesac antitrust

Copyright Office Commences an Inquiry into the Proliferation of Performing Rights Organizations – Looking at the Complexity of Licensing Musical Works in the United States

By David Oxenford|2025-02-13T11:23:28-06:00February 13th, 2025|Legal News|

In the United States, performing rights in musical compositions (or “musical works” as the Copyright Act refers to them – the words and music of a song) are generally licensed by a “performing rights organization” or a “PRO.” The U.S., unlike most countries where there is a single organization that collects these royalites, has multiple... Continue Reading…

DOJ Ends its Review of ASCAP and BMI Consent Decrees – For Now…What Does it Mean?

By David Oxenford|2021-01-20T11:08:42-06:00January 20th, 2021|Legal News|

In 2019, the Antitrust Division of the US Department of Justice began a review of the court-administered antitrust consent decrees that have bound ASCAP and BMI since the 1940s. We wrote about the issues in their review here. The formal review of these decrees began as part of the DOJ’s broader review of its antitrust... Continue Reading…

DOJ Ends its Review of ASCAP and BMI Consent Decrees – For Now…What Does it Mean?

By David Oxenford|2021-01-20T11:08:42-06:00January 20th, 2021|Legal News|

In 2019, the Antitrust Division of the US Department of Justice began a review of the court-administered antitrust consent decrees that have bound ASCAP and BMI since the 1940s. We wrote about the issues in their review here. The formal review of these decrees began as part of the DOJ’s broader review of its antitrust... Continue Reading…

ASCAP and BMI Consent Decrees Under Review – How Performing Rights Organizations, Antitrust Policy and Statutory Licenses Could Create a Controversy

By David Oxenford|2019-03-07T08:22:03-06:00March 7th, 2019|Legal News|

In the last few weeks, the press has been buzzing with speculation that the Department of Justice is moving toward suggesting changes in the antitrust consent decrees that govern the operations of ASCAP and BMI. Those consent decrees, which have been in place since the 1940s, among other things require that these Performing Rights Organizations...… Continue Reading

November Regulatory Dates for Broadcasters – Incentive Auction and Biennial Ownership Report Preparation, Reg Fee Comments, Music Issues, Text to Speech Emergency Information and More

By David Oxenford|2015-10-30T11:31:13-05:00October 30th, 2015|Legal News|

November is another of those months with no regular filing obligations – no EEO public file and Mid-Term reports, no noncommercial ownership reports, and no quarterly issues programs lists or children’s television reports. EEO public file reports and noncommercial station ownership reports, being tied to renewal dates, will be back in December. See our Broadcaster’s… Continue Reading

Dueling Letters about SESAC Radio Station Royalties – What’s A Station to Do?

By David Oxenford|2015-10-28T11:46:58-05:00October 28th, 2015|Legal News|

This week, many radio stations received a letter from SESAC, asking the stations to renew their last SESAC agreement for three years at a rate 5% lower than the rate at which they are currently paying. Sounds like a deal? But is there a catch? The SESAC letter makes clear that, by renewing the current… Continue Reading

Radio Music License Committee Settles Antitrust Suit Against SESAC – What Does it Mean for the Radio Industry?

By David Oxenford|2015-07-24T11:43:10-05:00July 24th, 2015|Legal News|

Yesterday, it was announced that the Radio Music License Committee (RMLC) settled its lawsuit with SESAC (see the press release here, and the full agreement here), where the RMLC had charged that SESAC’s practices in collecting its music royalties from the radio industry violated the antitrust laws (we wrote about the filing of the lawsuit… Continue Reading

TV Music Licensing Committee Settles Antitrust Action with SESAC over Music Licensing Rates and Terms – Radio Watches and Wonders if It Can Get a Similar Deal

By David Oxenford|2014-10-23T10:22:42-05:00October 23rd, 2014|Legal News|

SESAC is the one major performing rights organization whose rates have not, until now, been subject to judicial review as part of an antitrust consent decree. Perhaps because of that fact, broadcast stations have often complained about the rates they charge for the music that they license, as there is currently no cap on what … Continue Reading