Mary Wilson and Darlene Love are fighting for legislation to pay royalties to artists recordings from prior to 1972. If I understand the article correctly, radio and streaming do not have to pay royalies for music recorded before 1972.
It was no big problem before, because the audiences would hear the music, buy the CD and the artists were compensated from the CD royalty. But now, there are minimul CD sales, and the artists are not getting any compensation for the music before 1972.
Mary says that ".. with the digital world coming in, when they play your music you are not getting compensated because people don’t want to go out and buy CDs and albums like they used to. That was our payback.”
Mary said that she continues to perform because she has to make up for that lost revenue.
Mary said, “Now we have to work to get [that] back. Guess what? I have to. At 73 years old, I should be sitting at home and only working when I want to work, not because I have to work. I don’t have that income anymore.”
Interesting article. So if we are sitting at home or in the car listening to an oldies station or a streaming service, any song from before 1972 is being played without paying any royalty.
Almost like the recordings are now in public domain, but they are not. Royalties are still paid for sales, but not for plays. Doesn't sound too fair to me.
http://variety.com/2018/politics/new...ct-1202700035/
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