News & Events

On Oct. 3 the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a ruling that limits the royalties Internet companies including Yahoo Inc. and RealNetworks Inc. must pay to songwriters for downloaded music. ASCAP filed an appeal to the original ruling, citing costs of millions of dollars per year to its members. The initial ruling came from a federal appeals court in New York that stated that the downloading of a musical work isn't a "public performance" covered under the U.S. copyright laws. The Recording Academy had joined a brief on the side of ASCAP and songwriters asking the court to hear the case.

On Oct. 3 Gov. Jerry Brown (D-Calif.) signed SB550 into law. This new legislation will help diminish music and movie piracy.

Under the new law, inspections of CD and DVD replication plants are now allowed to ensure the facilities are in compliance with antipiracy laws. Additionally, only those authorities whose primary responsibilities include the investigation of high technology or intellectual property piracy will be allowed to inspect the CD and DVD plants to confirm that the discs include source identification information, which is already required by existing law. SB550 allows for the state to impose steep fines if violations are discovered.

The Recording Academy sent letters to members of the State Assembly, U.S. Senate and Brown urging passage of this important legislation.

The law takes effect Jan. 1, 2012.

On July 12 the House Appropriations Committee voted 28–18 to approve the Fiscal Year 2012 Interior and Environment Appropriations bill, which provides the NEA with a fiscal year 2012 budget of $135.2 million, a $20 million reduction from the fiscal year 2011 budget. If enacted into law, it would be the largest budget cut for the NEA in 16 years.

The full House is likely to take up the measure prior to August recess. The Recording Academy will keep its members informed of the status and of any action required.

On June 28 the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a law in California that banned sales of violent video games to minors. The court's decision remains consistent with how the court has ruled under Chief Justice John Roberts, with freedom of speech almost always winning.

The video game law was first passed by the California legislature in 2005. It would have imposed a $1,000 fine on retailers selling or renting a video game that featured violent content to someone under 18, even though the video game industry has a highly effective rating system in place. The law was overturned in 2007 and in November 2010 the Supreme Court heard arguments on the case.

The Recording Academy has been active on this issue, signing on to an amicus brief with other groups that are also opposed to government censorship. To view the brief, click here.

On April 13 the 2011 GRAMMYs on the Hill Awards celebrated its 10th anniversary while drawing nearly 400 people to the Liaison Capitol Hill hotel in Washington, D.C., to help honor Vice President Joe Biden, Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) and eight-time GRAMMY-winning musician Don Henley, who received the inaugural Recording Artists' Coalition Award in recognition of his work advancing the rights of music creators. Kicking off the evening, which was once again emceed by ASCAP President and Chairman of the Board Paul Williams, was GRAMMY-nominated artist and Recording Academy Los Angeles Chapter Board member Dave Koz, who played an instrumental rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner" on the saxophone.

Last year's GRAMMYs on the Hill included a visit to the Oval Office with Garth Brooks and Recording Academy representatives. This year, legendary 25-time GRAMMY winner Stevie Wonder and Academy President/CEO Neil Portnow visited Joe Biden in his office and presented him with his GRAMMYs on the Hill Award prior to the event.

During his remarks, Wonder praised Biden's strong commitment to protecting intellectual property, both as a senator and as vice president. Bob Crawford of the Avett Brothers, helped by Rep. Michael Burgess (R-Texas) and Henley, presented a check to Flower Mound High School, a Texas-based 2011 GRAMMY Signature Schools recipient. A $5,500 grant was represented to Flower Mound's music teacher Adela Martinez and a music student Ryan Youngblood. Crawford also used his time onstage to inform the audience of music and political leaders about the good work of the GRAMMY Foundation, which administers the GRAMMY Signature Schools program.

Between the presentations of awards, The Recording Academy's Vice President of Advocacy & Government Relations Daryl Friedman addressed the audience. He spoke about an event that took place a week prior to the GRAMMYs on the Hill ceremony during which four musically talented legislators joined top producers and Academy Trustees Darrell Brown, Mike Clink and James McKinney to record a track at Sirius XM Radio's studios in Washington, D.C. The final track was played for the first time for the GRAMMYs on the Hill audience, including the band members: Joseph Crowley (D-N.Y.), vocals/guitar; Ted Deutch (D-Fla.), keyboards; Tom Rooney (R-Fla.), drums; and Linda Sánchez (D-Calif.), backing vocals/percussion. In addition, a short film documenting the process was shown, and CDs of the song were given out at the event. Friedman's remarks set up the film clip noting the importance of producers and engineers. Following the video, the final produced track, "A Little Revival," was played for the first time for the audience and the GRAMMY Congressional Band members.

GRAMMY-winning artist Michael W. Smith presented Corker with his award, saying, "I've come to know Senator Corker both as a leader and as a friend. Without leaders like Senator Corker and so many other champions here tonight many performers, songwriters and studio professionals would never be able to practice their craft."

In accepting his award the senator noted that in his travels throughout the world, he hears the music of Tennessee playing and moving people of all cultures. Thus, he takes the responsibility of protecting the intellectual property of its creators seriously.

The last award was presented by Rep. Howard Berman (D-Calif.) to Henley, who was given the first Recording Artists' Coalition Award as a nod to the group of the same name that he co-founded with Sheryl Crow in 2000, which is now part of The Academy's GRAMMYs on the Hill Initiative. In accepting the award, Henley stated that making music is not a hobby for him, it is a profession.

"It's so important for all of us in this room to continue to keep fighting and advocating and carrying on this mission," said Henley. "I want to thank The Recording Academy for carrying on this very important work, and I think the Academy is unique equipped to do this job."

Henley followed his speech with a set with fellow GRAMMY winner Bruce Hornsby, including a performance of Henley's hit "The End Of The Innocence," which Hornsby co-wrote.

On April 14 more than 150 Recording Academy advocates arose early to participate in a full day of lobbying at GRAMMYs on the Hill Advocacy Day. Focusing on the many new members of the new 112th Congress (nearly 25 percent of House members are freshmen), Academy advocates met with more than 50 freshmen officers. The meetings served the purpose of both introducing The Recording Academy as the entity that represents music creators and educating the officers on the issues that matter to music makers. Timed specifically to coincide with GRAMMYs on the Hill, a House resolution, was introduced that same day by Reps. Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.) and Darrell Issa (R-Calif.). H. Con. Res. 42, the Creativity and Innovation Resolution, expresses Congress' support for innovative technologies that deliver music while paying all music creators. The resolution also opposes government mandates on devices, such as the National Association of Broadcasters' attempt to require mobile phone companies to include FM receivers in smart phones.

Click below to see the introductory remarks by Friedman and the video.

To hear the final produced track, click play on the video below.

On Jan. 26 GRAMMY-winning singer/songwriter Kenny Loggins came to Washington, D.C., for a GRAMMYs on the Hill Musical Briefing. The event — the first music event in the new Congress — helped introduce The Recording Academy's advocacy program to new legislators and their staff, welcomed back old friends and relaunched the Recording Arts and Sciences Congressional Caucus. Reps. Mary Bono Mack (R-Calif.) and Joe Crowley (D-N.Y.) kicked off the event by discussing the importance of the Recording Arts and Sciences Caucus as well as music in today's society, specifically the topic of arts education. For his performance, Loggins sang some of his most popular tunes, "Danny's Song" from Loggins & Messina's 1972 album Sittin' In, and "Conviction Of The Heart" and "This Is It." Before his performance, he spoke about the disappearance of music from the public school curriculum and urged attendees, including members of the Recording Arts and Sciences Congressional Caucus, to keep music in the schools.

After nearly a year of negotiations and congressional outreach, the broadcast leadership has for the first time in history voted in favor of a proposal that that would have radio pay artists for using their work. The National Association of Broadcasters' board of directors approved a term sheet that includes the royalty payment on Oct. 25, 2010. The proposal itself is not acceptable and sets a rate for the royalty below previously agreed-upon levels. However, the vote was a historic shift for an industry that only a year ago vowed "never a penny."

The musicFIRST Coalition, co-founded by The Recording Academy, officially rejected the terms, noting that it was a unilateral rewrite of the deal both parties struck after seven months of negotiations. However, the coalition recognized the significance of the vote, as did the radio trades with headlines, including "NAB Ready To Pay The Piper," "Radio Board Agrees To Pay Performers For Music" and "Broadcasters Prepared To Show Music Biz The Money."

This issue will most likely continue into the next Congress, either through legislation or through the parties finding mutually acceptable terms.