May 2025 - Last week’s firings of the Register/Director of the U.S. Copyright Office, Shira Perlmutter, as well as Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden, by Donald Trump, sent a clear message to U.S. creators that copyright protections – and by extension royalties paid to creators –are in serious danger under the current administration...
EVEN MORE AT STAKEFeb. 2025 - On February 26, the Creative Rights Caucus announced its bipartisan leadership for the 119th Congress, with Reps. Judy Chu (D-CA) and Laurel Lee (R-FL) serving as House Co-Chairs, and Sens. Mazie Hirono (D-HI) and Thom Tillis (R-NC) as Senate Co-Chairs. The caucus advocates for the protection of intellectual property and the rights of American creators...
CHU FIGHTS FOR CREATORSJune 2024 -- Bloomberg Law has reported that the compromise between musicians and streaming services over songwriters’ royalties is eroding six years after the Music Modernization Act (MMA) aimed to redefine music copyright law... Meanwhile, indie songwriters criticize the Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC) for its handling of royalties.
WHO GETS PAID - WHO DOESN'T?May 30, 2024
May 2024 - The Songwriters Guild of America [ ] submitted comments to the United States Copyright Office regarding the re-designation of the Music Licensing Collective... it highlights that the music creator community relies on the close, careful and equitable oversight of the MLC by the United States Copyright Office...
WILL THEY KEEP YOUR mONEY?Sept. 19, 2023
September 19, 2023 -- Today, Congresswoman Deborah Ross (D-NC) introduced the Protect Working Musicians Act of 2023. This legislation will give small independent artists and music creators the power to collectively negotiate with both streaming platforms and generative artificial intelligence (AI) developers for fair compensation.
Can Congress protect us?Feb. 14, 2023
Feb. 2023 - The SGA this week issued a letter to the Copyright Royalty Board -- but this was no lover letter. Essentially, the letter pointed out that only the most wealthy in the music business (labels, publishers, streaming services) are invited to the CRB process while music creators are locked out.
Creators need a voiceDec. 7, 2023
Dec. 2023 - The Songwriters Guild of America thanks Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Josh Hawley (R-MO) for introducing the, “No Section 230 Immunity for AI Act.” The bill would clarify that Section 230 immunity will not apply to claims based on generative AI... The bill would also allow authors and other creators to sue companies in federal or state court for harm by generative AI models.
MAKE AI PAY CREATORSNov. 1, 2023
Nov. 2023 - After years of work, the SGA - along with outside counsel Charles Sanders and the ACG Advocacy group - are seeing progress in their attempts to protect songwriting as a career in the age of artificial intelligence. "The SGA and its allies are very grateful to the Biden-Harris administration for their work in addressing the dangers inherent in AI technology - especially for creatives," said Rick Carnes.
Biden-Harris order promisingMarch 30, 2022
Songwriters scored a victory Tuesday when the US Copyright Royalty Board rejected a proposal to extend a freeze on royalty rate increases paid to songwriters and composers. Songwriter and composer royalty rates for downloads and sales on vinyl records and CDs have been frozen at 2006 rates...
GREAT NEWS FOR CREATORS!April 7, 2022
April 2022 - On April 6, Chris Castle announced that the RIAA has issued an "emergency motion" asking the CRB judges to "clarify' their decision. The filing by the RIAA suggests that only George Johnson -- the initial songwriter to post opposition to the frozen royalty extension -- should have the royalty freeze lifted. Other creators be damned.
WILL BIG-MONEY MUSIC WIN?Dec. 2022
Dec. 2022 - The SGA, along with its ally organizations, the Society of Composers and Lyricists and Music Creators North America, this December approached the US House and Senate Judiciary Committees seeking reforms to the Copyright Royalty Board (CRB) music royalty rate-setting process.
Royalties for creators... or?Sept. 29, 2022
July 2022 - The US recorded music market grew in the first half of 2022 – but only half as fast as it did in the first half of 2021. On a retail basis, recorded music revenues in the US (money spent on streaming subscriptions, as well as physical and digital music), grew $700 million year over year to $7.7 billion in the first half of this year (up from $7 billion in the first half of 2021).
Read more in MBW July 29, 2021
July 2021 - Songwriter and artist David Poe was among the first songwriters to post a comment opposing freezing the mechanical royalty rate for physical and downloads promoted by the NMPA and the Nashville Songwriters Association. Music Tech Policy will be posting their own comments, but wanted to start with David Poe’s passionate and well-reasoned comment to the CRB, that can be downloaded below.
Read about David's fightJuly 11, 2021
July 2021 - The Songwriters Guild of America, the Society of Composers & Lyricists and the Music Creators of North America coalition enthusiastically welcomed a recent announcement by the U.S. Copyright Office. A report from the Copyright Office recommends delaying the Mechanical Licensing Collective's “market share” redistribution of unmatched royalties...
SGA wins time for creators2021
2021 - Nile Rogers, Donald Fagen, Chick Corea, Steve Winwood, Garth Brooks, Trisha Yearwood and other artists - in collaboration with the the SGA, National Music Council (NMC) and the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) - collaborated to thank music educators for their perseverance during these challenging times.
Watch stars give thanksJuly 26, 2021
2021 - The Copyright Royalty Board is considering a proposal to continue to freeze mechanical royalty rate increases to music creators for years to come. The rate freeze would apply to mechanical royalties that include vinyl and digital song downloads. This comes at at a time when streaming platforms and other big-money music interests are seeing record profits from use of these mechanicals...
Why doesn't NSAI?May 25, 2021
May 25. 2021 - Following its success in getting the CASE Act passed, the SGA is doubling-down on its mission to, "protect songwriters." As part of its alliance with the MCNA and other songwriting groups, the SGA is asking for more transparency with the U.S. Copyright Royalty Board. The Board sets limits on what songwriters can be paid for CDs, vinyl records and downloads sold in the U.S. Check out the links below for more information:
MORE ON DIGITAL MUSIC NEWSMay 17, 2021
May 2021 - The SGA has joined with MCNA in sending letters to the U.S. Copyright Royalty Board asking that songwriters have a voice in how much they will be paid for their physical mechanical royalty rates. Recently streaming companies and large music publishers have asked to have royalty rates to songwriters frozen for years to come. Another group, the Nashville Songwriting Association, Intl., are siding with big money to freeze out songwriters.
SGA's on your sideMarch 2021
March 2021 - On January 1, 2021 the newly-passed Music Modernization Act (MMA) took effect. The law was initially launched to take into account new technology and address how it affects the sale of music creations. However, text in the law leaves room for potential corruption in the way music creators may (or may not) be paid.
THE PROBLEM WITH THE MLCMarch 5, 2021
On March 25 2021, the SGA submitted comments to Senator Tillis, (Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee on Intellectual Property), regarding the Digital Copyright Act of 2021.
Protected or not?January 2021
Jan 2021 - More than a decade of work by SGA President Rick Carnes, along with outside-counsel Charles Sanders, paid off in December when the U.S. Senate joined the House of Representatives in passing the Copyright Alternative in Small Claims Enforcement (CASE) Act. The long-awaited new law allows songwriters and other creators to sue, in a copyright small claims court, those who use their work without payment or permission.
SGA HELPS CREATORS SUEJanuary 2021
Jan. 2021 - In September of 2020 the SGA submitted comments to the House Committee on the Judiciary regarding “Copyright and the Internet in 2020: Reactions to the Copyright Office’s Report on the Efficacy of 17 U.S.C. § 512 After Two Decades.”
Tech firms V. music creatorsNovember 2020
In November, 2020, the SGA responded to the “Notice of Supplemental and Proposed Rulemaking and Inquiry Issued by the United States Copyright Office. THE USCO asked for comment concerning the Orrin G. Hatch-Bob Goodlatte Music Modernization Act of 2018. Specifically, the comments address the MMA's transition period transfer and reporting of royalties to the Mechanical Licensing Collective.
CREATORS SPEAK OUT ABOUT MLCAugust 31, 2020
Last August, the SGA responded to the U.S. Copyright Office's request for comments about the “Orrin G. Hatch-Bob Goodlatte Music Modernization Act of 2018: Unclaimed Royalties Study." Read our comments and see how your royalties may be affected.
Will You Be Paid?April 28,2020
On April 28, 2020 the SGA joined in penning a letter from the Digital Creators Coalition to newly confirmed United States Trade Rep. Katherine Tai. The organizations urged Tai to prioritize strong IP protections at home and abroad.
Why trade matters2020
The Songwriters Guild of America has compiled the latest information on resources for music creators who are in need of financial relief during the current shutdown caused by the COVID19 virus.
Get the help you need2020
2020 - The Songwriters Guild of America joined Chris Castle in filing an amicus brief with the Supreme Court of the United States in support of Oracle America which is suing Google over alleged copyright violation stemming from Google's use of Java APIs.
Will Google Pay Its Share?
