Today's New York Times reports that Rep. Conyers is calling on Congress to revise the Copyright Act to clarify that recording artists are entitled to recapture ownership over their copyrights in sound recordings. As the article explains, and as I referenced in my last blog post, questions exist whether transfers in copyrights in sound recordings (like other works) may be terminated, or whether they are "works made for hire," disqualifying them from being recaptured/terminated.
The article indicates that the big four record labels and their allies in Congress may prefer to ignore the issue and let the courts decide it. While such strategy would undoubtedly provide job security for us copyright litigators, it seems to make little sense for anyone else. This is an issue that Congress can and should decide now, putting recording artists in the same camp as every other type of author, with all of the same rights.
No comments:
Post a Comment