[Fmpro] Broadcast Mechanical Royalties

[Mark Northam]

Hi Dean -

This is a direct result of composers not caring enough about performing
rights royalties to demand better tracking and payment. The PROs could have
implemented digital watermarking to track music much more quickly, and the
PROs worldwide could have agreed on a format and technology so worldwide
tracking and payment could be done more quickly, but because writers
(especially) have taken such a "I don't care" attitude, the PROs have been
amazingly lazy when it comes to implementing tracking technology.

Don't forget - when it comes to the ASCAP Board of Directors, these are the
same folks who voted to hide their own Board attendance meeting records from
the membership at election time. That speaks volumes as to their intentions
and integrity.

There is a built-in disincentive for PROs to accurately track music - the
less tracking data they have, the more "flexibility" they have in deciding
who to pay out the money to and at what rate and the less accountability
they and the whole system has to deal with. Until we as writers demand
better treatment from the PROs, nothing will happen. Problem is, the number
of composers who "dare" speak up about such issues, much less demand better
service, is a tiny, tiny number. Seems everybody else either doesn't care or
is too afraid of upsetting the PROs...

Best,

Mark Northam


On 11/28/06 9:03 AM, "Dean Stairs" <studio at nf.sympatico.ca> wrote:

> I am astonished that VISA can verify a sale anywhere in
> the world within 20 (?) seconds and the PRO's take as long as two years
> to make payment for something that airs in a "foreign" country.

---------------------------------
Mark Northam - Publisher
Film Music Magazine
The Professional Voice of Music for Film & TV
http://www.filmmusicmag.com
1-800-774-3700 x702 / (310) 645-9000 x702