Washington, D.C. (March 22, 2018) – As Congress breaks for recess, musicFIRST Coalition Executive Director Chris Israel issued the following statement today on the recent and steady growth in support of cosponsors for The CLASSICS Act [H.R. 3301] in the House of Representatives. This week, Reps. Ken Buck (R-CO-4), Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA-40) and Darren Soto (D-FL-9), signed on to the bill, which also enjoys support by a majority of House Judiciary Committee members. Of the committee’s 40 members, 26 are sponsoring the bill.
“The CLASSICS bill gives a voice to the legacy artists behind our favorite music. With the support of Representatives Buck, Roybal-Allard and Soto, we grow closer to passing this landmark legislation,” Israel said.
“A singular flaw in U.S. copyright law means that the creators of great musical works made before 1972 often aren’t compensated fairly when those works are played on many different digital platforms. There is a straightforward fix that the entire music community is behind. It is also supported by digital music groups and internet companies. It has bipartisan support in the House and great leadership on the Judiciary Committee. The momentum is building to pass the CLASSICS Act.”
These latest cosponsors join more than forty other members of Congress from both sides of the aisle in support of reforming this outdated copyright law. In the Senate, the companion bill (S. 2393) is also gaining momentum with strong bipartisan support. In recent weeks Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) joined Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ), Chris Coons (D-DE), Bob Corker (R-TN), John Kennedy (R-LA), and Thom Tillis (R-NC) in support of the CLASSICS Act in the Senate.
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