JPF Home Page Forums General Messages General Message Forum Another ASCAP Controversy

Bob..

Exactly.. and the person who buys the rights to the James Taylor songs is the venue by purchasing the 3 PRO blanket license fees which covers not only James Taylor, but everyone else who's ever established that they want compensation for their works being performed. That's the beauty of blank fees.

There were suggestions being made that it was unfair for an artist to have to compensate a writer for using their song because s/he might be promoting the song itself. My point was everyone should be compensated for providing the raw material that someone else voluntarily chooses to use to forward their own business goals. In this case, just as someone pays for the guitar you use (unless you created the guitar yourself), someone should also pay for the songs you use (unless you created the songs yourself). If you use a Taylor guitar, someone needs to pay for that guitar. If you use James Taylor songs, someone needs to pay for that. The only realistic and workable system anyone has yet come up with is a blanket fee, so as to NOT cause absurd workloads and loss of time and resources for everyone involved. The fair system has been a blanket fee paid so that no records or convoluted system needs to be in place. The burden (which is separate) then falls on the writer and their chosen representative, to get that money to the right people, leaving the artist and venue free to focus on THEIR business.

If you read my posts throughout this entire discussion, you'll see I've made that same point each time.

There has been suggestion in recent posts that no one should pay anyone. I am suggesting that everyone should get paid (or at least have the choice), especially if they aren't a part of the actice decision making process of the business deal. If an artist wants to play free, great, they can choose to do that. If a venue wants to give away beer, great, they can choose to do that. But in this scenario, the songwriter isn't part of the decision making process.. they aren't being asked if they want to do give it away.. it's just being taken for free UNLESS the fee is being paid.

Still confused?

Brian