BMI, RMLC Reach Music Licensing Agreement; Lawyer Fears Confusion
BMI and the Radio Music License Committee agreed to settle their rate dispute and will enter into a multiyear deal covering licensing from 2017 until 2021, they announced Thursday. Along with a new rate retroactive to 2017, RMLC agreed to…
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a one-time payment to BMI to cover litigation fees. The agreement “clarifies and preserves the platforms that are covered by the scope of the license and associated revenue, including over-the-air broadcasts, as well as the stations’ simulcast streaming, podcasts and HD radio,” the release said. That sentence could lead to confusion among broadcasters regarding using licensed music in podcasts, blogged Wilkinson Barker broadcast attorney David Oxenford Friday. BMI “controls only a portion of the rights necessary to use music in podcasts and, without obtaining the remaining rights to that music, a podcaster using the music with only a BMI license is looking for a copyright infringement claim.” The deal needs judicial OK, the release said. “While litigation is sometimes a necessary step, our preference is always to work out an amicable solution with our licensing partners,” said BMI CEO Mike O’Neill. “We hope that this deal will assist others in the music licensing community in determining fair rates for everyone,” said RMLC Chair Ed Atsinger.