Sound Exchange

SoundExchange together with AFM, SAG-AFTRA and The Fund Announce Four New Reciprocal Agreements with Artist Societies Worldwide

WASHINGTON – July 25, 2012 – SoundExchange announced today, in conjunction with the American Federation of Musicians (AFM), SAG-AFTRA (Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) and The AFM and AFTRA Intellectual Property Rights Distribution Fund (“The AFM and AFTRA Fund”), that the organizations have signed four multilateral reciprocal agreements for collection of sound recordings royalties with Cyprus (ASTERAS), Germany (GVL), Japan (CPRA/Geidankyo) and Sweden (SAMI) foreign artist societies.

Music Industry Leaders Join SoundExchange Board of Directors

WASHINGTON, DC – July 12, 2012 – SoundExchange announced today the appointment of three new members to its Board of Directors. Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, Ray Hair and Paul Robinson will bring their collective knowledge and fresh perspectives garnered from their work across and within the music industry to the SoundExchange board.

Crabtree-Ireland, Hair and Robinson will fill the positions previously held by Kim Roberts Hedgpeth, national executive director, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA); Patricia Polach, of counsel, Bredhoff & Kaiser, P.L.L.C.; and Tucker McCrady, former vice president, Litigation, Warner Music Group, respectively. The SoundExchange Board of Directors is comprised of 18 individuals, split evenly between artists and label representatives, serving virtually all aspects of the recorded music industry.

Webcasting III Decision: D.C. Circuit Court Resolves Constitutionality Issue of Copyright Royalty Board

On Friday, as you may have heard the D.C. Circuit issued a decision in the pending appeal of the “default” 2011-2015 rates set in the Webcasting III proceeding. The appeal was brought by Intercollegiate Broadcasting System (IBS), one of the two college groups that represent certain educational webcasters. In the appeal, IBS challenged two things: (i) The rates for non-commercial webcasters and (ii) the constitutionality of the Copyright Royalty Board (CRB). (The CRB is the panel of judges appointed by the Librarian of Congress that sets the default royalty rates for Internet radio’s use of sound recordings.) Specifically, IBS argued that the Librarian’s appointment of the CRB judges violated the Appointments Clause of the U.S. Constitution.