Protect Working Musicians Act of 2023
The source supplies the latest action, but no lifecycle stage.
Latest action (19 Sep 2023): Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
What this bill does
H.R. 5576, the Protect Working Musicians Act of 2023, would allow independent music creators and owners to collectively negotiate licensing terms with large online music distribution platforms. This means musicians, producers, and sound engineers who own copyrights and meet certain revenue or small business criteria could band together to bargain with these platforms over how their music is used and distributed online.
The bill aims to address what its findings describe as an imbalance of power between individual creators and dominant platforms. It suggests that current systems, like the Digital Millennium Copyright Act's "notice and takedown" process, place an undue burden on creators to track unlicensed music. This legislation would create a safe harbor, exempting these collective negotiations from antitrust laws under specific conditions.
This bill was introduced in the House of Representatives on September 19, 2023, and was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. As it was introduced in a previous session of Congress and did not receive a vote, it would need to be reintroduced and considered again by the committee and potentially the full House to advance.
Plain-English summary generated by Bill100 AI from the official record. Always verify against the source below.
Timeline
19 Sep 2023
Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
Common questions
- What does H.R. 5576 do?
- H.R. 5576, the Protect Working Musicians Act of 2023, would allow independent music creators and owners to collectively negotiate licensing terms with large online music distribution platforms. This means musicians, producers, and sound engineers who own copyrights and meet certain revenue or small business criteria could band together to bargain with these platforms over how their music is used and distributed online. The bill aims to address what its findings describe as an imbalance of power between individual creators and dominant platforms. It suggests that current systems, like the Digital Millennium Copyright Act's "notice and takedown" process, place an undue burden on creators to track unlicensed music. This legislation would create a safe harbor, exempting these collective negotiations from antitrust laws under specific conditions. This bill was introduced in the House of Representatives on September 19, 2023, and was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. As it was introduced in a previous session of Congress and did not receive a vote, it would need to be reintroduced and considered again by the committee and potentially the full House to advance.
- Has H.R. 5576 become law?
- The source does not supply a confirmed lifecycle stage for H.R. 5576. Check the latest action and official source below.
- Who sponsored H.R. 5576?
- H.R. 5576 was sponsored by Rep. Ross, Deborah K. [D-NC-2] (D-NC), with 3 cosponsors.
- What's the latest action on H.R. 5576?
- Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary. (19 Sep 2023).
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