[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 160 (Thursday, September 27, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1319-E1320]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




H.R. 1551, THE ORRIN G. HATCH-BOB GOODLATTE MUSIC MODERNIZATION ACT OF 
                                  2018

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. BOB GOODLATTE

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 27, 2018

  Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Speaker, earlier this week, the House of 
Representatives voted to send legislation to the President to bring 
early 20th Century music laws for the analog era into the 21st Century 
digital era. This legislation is the culmination of years of effort by 
industry stakeholders, Members of the House and Senate, public interest 
groups, and others.
  Several years ago, I launched a comprehensive review of our nation's 
copyright laws. The House Judiciary Committee held dozens of hearings, 
heard from over a hundred witnesses, and traveled to multiple cities 
across the country to hear directly from stakeholders who use these 
laws. This review provided the foundation upon which several bills to 
reform our copyrights laws were constructed. During the course of this 
review, we learned that our music licensing laws were broken. The laws 
were no longer working as intended for songwriters, artists and 
creators, or for the companies that deliver the music in innovative 
ways to consumers.
  After this review, I challenged the industry to put their differences 
aside and to come together to create a unified reform bill, and to 
their credit, they delivered. This legislation has the support of 
songwriters, musical works copyright owners, digital music providers, 
individual artists, sound recording copyright owners, artist guilds, 
and performing rights organizations.
  The reasons for such widespread support are clear. This legislation 
boosts payments for copyright owners and artists while reducing 
litigation costs for all parties; streamlines rights clearance for 
music delivery services; allows songwriters to help determine how their 
royalties are collected and allocated; protects the works of recording 
artists who created pre-1972 recordings; ensures sound engineers, 
mixers, and producers get paid; and gives the public more access to 
more music. This legislation will truly usher in a new era for music 
creators, distributors and consumers.
  However, today, I want to take a minute to thank and highlight the 
work of several of my colleagues who were indispensable leaders in 
making this new era possible. Big pieces of

[[Page E1320]]

legislation can come together only through the efforts of many who are 
willing to invest their time to make change happen.
  First, I want to thank Representatives Doug Collins and Hakeem 
Jeffries. They were the leaders who took a very fractured music 
community, got their hands dirty, and forged the consensus and 
framework for reforming the Section 115 mechanical license for musical 
works. For a hundred years, our mechanical licensing laws were based on 
the technology of the piano roll. Through the diligent work of these 
Members, it will now reflect the digital realities of the 21st Century.
  In addition, I would like to thank IP Subcommittee Chairman Darrell 
Issa and Full Committee Ranking Member Jerry Nadler for their 
leadership on behalf of sound recording artists to secure protection 
for artists who recorded works before 1972. For decades, some artists 
could receive compensation for their recordings while others could not, 
based solely on an arbitrary date. That was not fair. We have now fixed 
that thanks to the leadership of these Members.
  I would also like to thank Representatives Joe Crowley and Tom Rooney 
for their leadership on behalf of producers, mixers, and sound 
engineers. Thanks to their hard work, these technical artists will also 
receive compensation for their contributions to musical works.
  I would like to thank Ranking Member Conyers for his leadership on 
these issues over many years, and for his willingness to partner with 
me in orchestrating the Committee's multi-year Copyright Review. And I 
want to thank Ranking Member Nadler for his work on all of these issues 
and for his willingness to partner with me in combining all of these 
important pieces--and others--together into a comprehensive and 
consensus music licensing reform package that is now awaiting the 
President's signature.
  Additionally, I would like to thank Senate Judiciary Committee 
Chairman Chuck Grassley, Ranking Member Dianne Feinstein, and Senator 
Orrin Hatch for shepherding the legislation through the Senate. I 
appreciate their leadership and willingness to work across chambers and 
across party lines.
  Of course, I, and all the Members who led this effort, owe a debt of 
gratitude to our staffs. The staff of the House Judiciary Committee, 
both Majority and Minority, and the personal staffs of the Members, 
worked overtime for days, weeks, months and years to help us achieve 
this victory. We could not have done this without them.
  The result of all this work by Members, staff, and stakeholders from 
every corner is nothing less than a new era for music. One that 
continues our nation's long commitment to incentivize creators and 
distributors to bring us the sound tracks of our lives.

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