[Emmett McCarthy]

I see where “artists, record companies and publishers” will be paid. No provision for payment to the writers. Typical of mechanical reproduction where royalty payments are made to the publisher, but writers often don’t get paid by the publisher according the terms of the contract. A writer needs to retain control of his own publishing to the greatest extent possible or he’s going to get screwed.

[Museum Twenty]

Bump for later reading.

[Stoat]

I see where “artists, record companies and publishers” will be paid. No provision for payment to the writers. Typical of mechanical reproduction where royalty payments are made to the publisher, but writers often don’t get paid by the publisher according the terms of the contract. A writer needs to retain control of his own publishing to the greatest extent possible or he’s going to get screwed.

It seems that songwriter contracts will have to be re-drafted to reflect the new paradigm.  If the accountants can figure out how to pay the publisher in this new system, one would assume that a mechanism could be found whereby the songwriters will be paid as well.

If they can't, then the songwriters will go on strike and the artists will suddenly have a very limited pool of songs from which to perform.

[antiRepublicrat]

I see where “artists, record companies and publishers” will be paid. No provision for payment to the writers.

Most likely any artists who negotiated their contracts before the age of online music won't get a penny either.