ASCAP Introduces Bill of Rights

4/17/2008 Meaghan Mitchell Today, ASCAP (American Society for Composers, Authors, and Publishers), one of the largest Performance Rights Organizations, issued a 'Bill of Rights' to protect their members. This awareness-building initiative is built upon 10 core principles, all of which are already inherent in the act of music creation and protected by U.S. copyright law, but face a threat as competing opinions battle over the future of the business of music. The 'Bill of Rights' are as follows: 1. We have the right to be compensated for the use of our creative works, and share in the revenues that they generate. 2. We have the right to license our works and control the ways in which they are used. 3. We have the right to withhold permission for uses of our works on artistic, economic or philosophical grounds. 4. We have the right to protect our creative works to the fullest extent of the law from all forms of piracy, theft and unauthorized use, which deprive us of our right to earn a living based on our creativity. 5. We have the right to choose when and where our creative works may be used for free. 6. We have the right to develop, document and distribute our works through new media channels - while retaining the right to a share in all associated profits. 7. We have the right to choose the organizations we want to represent us and to join our voices together to protect our rights and negotiate for the value of our music. 8. We have the right to earn compensation from all types of "performances," including direct, live renditions as well as indirect recordings, broadcasts, digital streams and more. 9. We have the right to decline participation in business models that require us to relinquish all or part of our creative rights - or which do not respect our right to be compensated for our work. 10. We have the right to advocate for strong laws protecting our creative works, and demand that our government vigorously uphold and protect our rights. "Given the many issues surrounding the music industry today, it can be all too easy to overlook the source of it all - individual songwriters, lyricists and composers," said ASCAP President and Chairman and Academy Award-winning lyricist, Marilyn Bergman. "That is why ASCAP has launched this Bill of Rights for Songwriters and Composers. Our goal is to remind lawmakers, the general public and music creators themselves of the rights that are inherent in their art. We simply cannot allow the original source of all music to be lost in the shuffle." As the battle continues, the 'Bill of Rights' were debuted during ASCAP's "I Created Music" Week at the 25th Annual Pop Music Awards and introduced to attendees of the 3rd Annual "I Create Music" EXPO. The Bill was seen and signed by over 500 hundred individuals in the industry. These signatures including the likes of Lionel Richie, Stacy "Fergie" Ferguson, Justin Timberlake, Steve Miller and other big stars serve as the grassroots campaign that will collect signatures and support from both established and aspiring songwriters over the next few months. "The signatures that we collect on this Bill of Rights for Songwriters and Composers will be shared with key legislators in Washington, as well as numerous other leaders both inside and outside the music industry," said ASCAP CEO John A. LoFrumento.  "Now is the time to ensure that everyone who has a stake in determining the future of music, both as an art and as an industry, recognizes the importance of protecting creators' rights." For those who wish to add their support to the Bill can sign it electronically at Ascap.com/rights.