Performance Royalties for Films
Performance Royalties for FilmsTodd Brabec is the Vice President and Director of Membership for the American
Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP). He talks about the 1948
decision. ASCAP had an exclusive contract with their writers. Thus, ASCAP had
to be the negotiating party for the writers in all circumstances. The 1948 decision
ruled that as an antitrust violation however. Brabec explains that current contracts
allow writers and publishers to bypass ASCAP or BMI and directly license to users.
Also in this segment, Brabec covers the decision's effect on motion picture monies
in the United States. Since the provision remained from the decision, motion pictures
do not pay money in the United States. He emphasizes that performance royalties
for films are a major source of income in foreign territories.