Music ownership databases: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 00:30, 22 January 2018

Revision as of 21:01, 28 January 2018

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The Transparency of Music License Ownership Act [[Bill (law)|bill]] was introduced to the [[United States House of Representatives]] on July 20, 2017 by Jim Sensenbrenner and Suzan DelBene. It creates a database with the ability to enforce participation by law. Like most [[Legislation|legislation]] today, there are people who support this bill and people who oppose against this bill. The people who are in support after the Transparency of Music License Ownership Act say that it will help the music industry grow by cutting costs caused by misinformation and intermediaries<ref>{{cite web|title=A Vibrant Music Licensing Marketplace|url=http://mic-coalition.org/news-posts/transparency-music-licensing-ownership-act-promotes-vibrant-music-licensing-marketplace/|website=Music InnovationConsumers|accessdate=7 December 2017}}</ref>. The opposition against this bill believes that the legislation would limit the ability for copyright owners to sue for infringement<ref>{{cite web|last1=Flanagan|first1=Andrew|title=New Bill Calling For Transparency In Music Is Surprisingly Opaque|url=https://www.npr.org/sections/therecord/2017/08/01/540655528/new-bill-calling-for-transparency-in-music-is-surprisingly-opaque|website=NPR|accessdate=7 December 2017}}</ref>.

===ASCAP and BMI Database===

On July 26, 2017, ASCAP and BMI announced a joint database between both organizations, a project that has been in the works for the past year. The first phase, a searchable database, will roll out the first quarter of 2018. 90% of music in the USA is represented by these two organizations. Groups of people in that industry are excited for this much information to be on one database<ref>{{cite web|last1=Aswad|first1=Jem|title=ASCAP and BMI Join Forces on Comprehensive Song Database|url=httphttps://variety.com/2017/music/news/ascap-and-bmi-join-forces-on-comprehensive-song-database-1202507071/|website=Variety|accessdate=7 December 2017}}</ref>. At the same time, many have mentioned that the database is incomplete because it does not include music from the CMOs [[SESAC]] (USA) or Global Music Rights (USA)<ref>{{cite web|last1=Christman|first1=Ed|title=Inside the Music Publishing World's Epic Struggle to Build a Single Song Database|url=https://www.billboard.com/biz/articles/7889691/inside-the-music-publishing-worlds-epic-struggle-to-build-a-single-song|website=Billboard|accessdate=7 December 2017}}</ref>. House Representative Jim Sensenbrenner, among others in the industry, have suggested ASCAP and BMI cannot be trusted because of their past withdrawing from the GRD causing it to collapse<ref>{{cite web|last1=Sanchez|first1=Daniel|title=War Erupts Over Whose Global Music Rights Database Is Better|url=https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2017/08/04/riaa-ascap-bmi-congress-shared-music-database/|website=Digital Music News|accessdate=7 December 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Christman|first1=Ed|title=ASCAP-BMI Song Database Plan Rollout Questioned|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/business/7881962/ascap-bmi-database-rollout-plan-controversy|website=Billboard|accessdate=7 December 2017}}</ref>

===RIAA and NMPA Database===

Soon after ASCAP and BMI announced their database, RIAA and NMPA came forward with the information that they have also been working on the database between their two organizations. RIAA and NMPA said they purposely excluded ASCAP and BMI because they believed inviting them would cause a hindrance to the overall goal<ref>{{cite web|last1=Sanchez|first1=Daniel|title=A US Congressman Just Called ASCAP+BMI’s Shared Database a Scam|url=https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2017/07/27/mic-coalition-ascap-bmi/|website=Digital Music News|accessdate=7 December 2017}}</ref>. At the same time, publishers in the music industry have expressed doubt about the ability of RIAA and NMPA to create a database without any CMOs<ref>{{cite web|last1=Dredge|first1=Stuart|title=RIAA And NMPA Working On Their Own Song-Database Project|url=http://musically.com/2017/08/03/riaa-nmpa-working-song-database-project/|website=Musically|accessdate=7 December 2017}}</ref>s.