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    Gov. Greg Abbott (center) meets with members of the Recording Academy Texas Chapter in 2015, including GRAMMY Lifetime Achievement recipient Flaco Jimenez

    News
    A Victory for Texas Music victory-texas-music

    A Victory for Texas Music

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    Theresa Jenkins and David Messier
    Advocacy
    Jun 23, 2017 - 12:06 pm

    As technology evolves, so must the law. This was one of the messages delivered to lawmakers as the Recording Academy’s Texas Chapter gathered in February during GRAMMYs At The Texas Capitol, also proclaimed “GRAMMY Music Advocacy Day.”

    They heard this message loud and clear!

    Last week, Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed a new anti-counterfeiting bill (SB 1343) into law that strengthens protections against physical music piracy and provides law enforcement representatives and prosecutors with clear and efficient legal tools that can be used to protect the Texas music industry.

    In the past, physical music piracy involved the unauthorized manufacture and sale of recordings on traditional media such as tapes, CDs and even vinyl records, which were accounted for in existing state law. SB 1343 clarifies that criminal prosecution for music piracy applies to new digital storage devices such as hard drives, flash drives and memory cards that can contain hundreds or thousands of pirated recordings.

    Additionally, the bill establishes recompense for victims and provides clear guidelines to judges for calculating restitution.

    The Recording Academy is grateful to Texas lawmakers, especially bill sponsors Rep. Tan Parker and Sen. Bryan Hughes, and to Governor Abbott for recognizing the importance music has in Texas - accounting for more than 160,000 jobs in the state, including more than 30,000 working musicians and songwriters – and for working together to protect and support the music industry.

    Theresa Jenkins
    Senior Executive Director, Texas Chapter

    David Messier
    President, Texas Chapter

    Honoree Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) (center) at the GRAMMYs on the Hill Awards on April 15, 2015

    Photo: Paul Morigi/WireImage.com

    News
    Jerrold Nadler Wins House Judiciary Committee Vote rep-jerrold-nadler-wins-house-judiciary-committee-vote

    Rep. Jerrold Nadler Wins House Judiciary Committee Vote

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    Longtime supporter of music creators' rights wins top Democratic seat
    Renée Fabian
    Advocacy
    Dec 21, 2017 - 12:15 pm

    Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) has earned the top Democratic seat on the House Judiciary Committee, replacing Rep. John Conyers Jr. (D-Mich.). Nadler, who stepped into the role in an acting capacity on Nov. 29, defeated Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) by a vote of 118 to 72.

    While The Hill acknowledged that Nadler, a 13-term Congress member, and Lofgren, a 12-term Congress member, have similar political viewpoints, they cited the former's constitutional knowledge as giving him an edge over Lofgren with other members of the committee, along with his seniority.

    "This is a critical time in our nation's history, and the work of the Democrats on the Judiciary Committee is more important than ever," Nadler said in a statement. "We must fight to protect the rule of law, strengthen our safety and security from enemies foreign and domestic, shield Americans' rights and liberties from encroachment, and guarantee that all people, no matter their age, race, gender, religion, ability, finances, nationality, or sexual orientation, are treated fairly and equally."

    Nadler's victory could signal positive news for music creators, as he has been an active supporter of legislation critical to the industry. Nadlerhas introduced the Fair Play Fair Pay Act and, along with Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), the CLASSICS Act, two bills that would allow musicians to be fairly compensated for their recordings, including those created before 1972.

    Alongside Alicia Keys and House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.), Nadler was honored at the 2015 GRAMMYs on the Hill Awards for his support and understanding of music creators' unique role in enriching our lives and culture.

    "The Recording Academy and its membership of music creators congratulate Jerrold Nadler on his election to Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee," said Daryl P. Friedman, Recording Academy Chief Industry, Government & Member Relations Officer. "Not only is Congressman Nadler an expert on intellectual property and a supporter of creators’ rights, he is an honest broker who hears all sides and considers all perspectives. The Recording Academy looks forward to working with the Congressman in his prestigious position to advance this important legislation and advocate for a sustainable future for all music creators."

    House Judiciary Ranking Member: The Most Important Congressional Race?

    The Capitol

    The U.S. Capitol Building

    Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

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    NEA Funding: How You Can Make A Difference fight-arts-congress-crucial-year-end-funding-decision

    The Fight For The Arts: Congress' Crucial Year-End Funding Decision

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    With Congress on the brink of a crucial decision on arts funding, find out how you can take action in support of the music creators
    Nate Hertweck
    Advocacy
    Dec 20, 2017 - 11:03 am

    As the close of 2017 nears, Congress is pressed to wrap a handful of "must-do" items before breaking for the holidays. One such item of major significance is passing a spending bill to keep the government funded and running into 2018.

    Urban, arts supporters honored on Capitol Hill

    For music creators, one specific facet of this spending bill looms large: funding for the 2018 National Endowment for the Arts, an area of great interest to the Recording Academy's advocacy efforts.

    The NEA survived President Donald Trump administration's proposal to slash funding for 2017. In the face of adversity, advocates for the creative community sprang into action, utilizing the Academy's online tool to send thousands of messages to Congress and lobbying in support of NEA funding during GRAMMYs on the Hill Advocacy Day. The surge of support for the NEA was successful, and Congress ultimately increased funding from $148 million to $150 million for 2017.

    Now, as we stand on 2018's doorstep, the White House has proposed eliminating the NEA completely. Fortunately for the arts community, Congress has plainly rejected this proposal, with the House approving $145 million earlier this summer and more recently, the Senate Committee on Appropriations approved fully funding the NEA at $150 million.

    While there is optimism in the House's committee report, which claimed the NEA has "broad bipartisan support," the final spending level for 2018 is still in flux. Furthermore, Congress remains in the midst of complicated negotiations surrounding tax reform, health care, immigration, and other hot-button issues potentially affecting the fate of the spending bill.

    Advocates of the arts have helped protect the NEA thus far and Congress will likely pass a temporary spending bill, delaying the final determination on NEA funding until January. But now is the time to contact your representatives with a loud, clear message of support for the NEA.

    Visit our Advocacy Action page to learn how you can make a difference in the fight to maintain crucial funding for the arts.

    Guns N' Roses' Slash Lobbies Congress For Fair Pay For Musicians

    Conversations in Advocacy #3

    Photo: IStock/Getty Images

    News
    Judiciary Committee Democrat: Nadler Vs. Lofgren house-judiciary-ranking-member-most-important-congressional-race

    House Judiciary Ranking Member: The Most Important Congressional Race?

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    In this latest installment of "Conversations in Advocacy," explore both sides of the race for top Democrat of the House Judiciary Committee
    Philip Merrill
    Advocacy
    Dec 15, 2017 - 11:21 am

    "The Congressional race nobody is talking about is maybe the most important for music creators. Who will be the top Democrat on Judiciary?" — Conversations in Advocacy #3

    On Nov. 29 Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) stepped into the role of Ranking Member on the House Judiciary Committee in an acting capacity, but Democrats will soon make a final choice on who will be the permanent Ranking Member. Also in consideration is Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.), who has been uniquely aligned with the policy interests of the big technology companies that dominate her Silicon Valley congressional district.

    Writers at The Intercept recently took a dim view of what they considered Lofgren's unfailing allegiance to tech giants like Google, even in the face of recent controversies. As far as matters affecting creators and copyright law, Nadler has taken a much more pragmatic view, as evidenced by his sponsoring legislation such as the Fair Play Fair Pay Act of 2017.

    Both lawmakers say they believe in protections for artists, but Lofgren's tech-centric point-of-view may not always align with the interests of music creators. For example, The Intercept noted that in 2009 she sanctioned Google's plan to digitize millions of books from libraries without approval from the actual copyright holders.

    It is an especially crucial time for the House Judiciary Committee given the prospect of major copyright reform legislation in 2018. Modernization is overdue and it is in crafting the details of such a long-awaited update that Nadler could potentially best demonstrate his bill-making abilities.

    It all adds up to why the music community should keep a close eye on who will ultimately be chosen to lead the effort to update copyright law as the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee.

    "Conversations in Advocacy" is your weekend digital tip sheet on the policies that affect music makers and their craft. New installments post every Friday.

     

    Conversations In Advocacy

    Photo: iStock/Getty Images

    News
    Cryptocurrencies: Good For Music Royalties? cryptocurrencies-how-will-they-disrupt-%E2%80%94-and-improve-%E2%80%94-music-royalties

    Cryptocurrencies: How Will They Disrupt — And Improve — Music Royalties?

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    In this latest installment of "Conversations in Advocacy," explore how cryptocurrencies and other digital transaction services are shaking up the way musicians collect royalties
    Nate Hertweck
    Advocacy
    Dec 8, 2017 - 3:10 pm

    Cryptocurrency's prospective influence on the music industry is as exciting as it is mysterious. So what will these blossoming digital formats mean for royalties when it gets down to brass tacks?

    "Tech has already revolutionized how music is made, discovered and consumed. I think the next disruption is going to be with royalties, and how musicians will be able to get more direct, and better, pay through cryptocurrencies and other digital transaction services." — Conversations in Advocacy #2

    While the concept of cryptocurrencies may be new to some, there is no shortage of entrepreneurs who have been paying close attention to the movement and devoting time and resources to building music platforms that can utilize the technology.

    Choon, one new service coming in spring 2018, promises to implement the Ethereum blockchain technology to ensure royalties are immediate and accurate.

    Choon is essentially a streaming service that will allow fans to purchase music using NOTES, a proprietary cryptocurrency that can be collected and distributed fluidly from fan to artist, returning 80 percent of revenue to the copyright holder(s) to be divvied up based on a "smart record contract" set up ahead of time.

    At launch, NOTES will cost the listener 5 cents each and can also be earned by creating popular playlists, listening to promoted songs, and providing useful feedback, according to Billboard.

    "There's this common misconception that there's no money in music, and that the only way you can make a living is touring, but that’s not really correct," said Choon co-founder Gareth Emery. "It's a $16 billion industry. What I realized though, was that the money is going to all the wrong people: intermediaries and middlemen who don't really need to be there. Choon is our attempt to fix these problems, cut out these people, and provide a much better deal for artists."

    Another service shaking things up is Monero, an open-source cryptocurrency launched in 2014 that boasts a music catalog of more than 30 artists, including G-Eazy, Weezer, Motörhead, Kaskade, and Fall Out Boy.

    "Unlike many cryptocurrencies that are derivatives of Bitcoin, Monero is a unique protocol," Hypebot said of the service, while adding that it "focuses on privacy, decentralization, and scalability."

    With buy-in from major artists and a major holiday initiative dubbed "The Coral Reef Project" teed up to raise awareness of Monero, the service is pushing hard against the floodgates, hoping music consumers will open their minds and wallets to this new way of supporting bands and artists they love.

    These two examples represent real-world implementation of the technology primed for disrupting an industry already in flux, and the best part is that artists, musicians and songwriters stand to reap the rewards.

    "Conversations in Advocacy" is your weekend digital tip sheet on the policies that affect music makers and their craft. New installments post every Friday. 

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    Some of the content on this site expresses viewpoints and opinions that are not those of the Recording Academy. Responsibility for the accuracy of information provided in stories not written by or specifically prepared for the Academy lies with the story's original source or writer. Content on this site does not reflect an endorsement or recommendation of any artist or music by the Recording Academy.