ASCAP Establishes Bill of Rights

By I Apr. 17, 2008

To remind the public, members of the music industry and U.S. legislators of the central role and rights of those who conceive and create music, the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) launched a Bill of Rights for Songwriters and Composers.

This awareness-building initiative centers around 10 core principles, including “We have the right to be compensated for the use of our creative works, and share in the revenues that they generate” and “We have the right to license our works and control the ways in which they are used.”

These rights, all of which are already inherent in the act of music creation and protected by U.S. copyright law, are under threat as growing numbers of individuals bypass payment to illegally share music online.

“Given the many issues surrounding the music industry today, it can be all too easy to overlook the source of it all – individual songwriters, lyricists and composers,” said Marilyn Bergman, ASCAP president and chairman. “Our goal is to remind lawmakers, the general public and music creators of the rights that are inherent in their art. We cannot allow the original source of all music to be lost in the shuffle.”

Debuted during ASCAP’s “I Create Music” Week at the 25th Annual Pop Music Awards held on April 9, the bill has garnered more than 500 signatures from songwriters, composers and artists.

More info: ascap.com