(CelebrityAccess) — Commercial broadcaster trade association Radio Music License Committee and Irving Azoff’s performance rights organization Global Music Rights, announced they have settled a long-standing legal battle, clearing the way for GMR to license radio stations.
“Global Music Rights stands for songwriters and the value of their music,” said GMR’s founder Irving Azoff. “I am proud of the GMR team for the hard work on behalf of songwriters in achieving this settlement. It is wonderful that GMR and thousands of radio stations coast to coast are partnered to bring great music to fans for many years.”
RMLC Chairman, Ed Atsinger III added, “This settlement puts an end to more than 5-years of litigation and represents a shared desire by both sides to find a way for radio stations and GMR to work together on a long-term basis without repeatedly resorting to litigation.”
The suit, which began in 2016, saw GMR allege that the RMLC operated as a cartel and engaged in price fixing with influence over more than 10,000 commercial radio stations representing 90% of commercial radio revenue in the U.S.
In 2019, the United States Department of Justice sided with GMR in the dispute, and in a statement of interest, took exception to a number of RMLC’s legal arguments on price fixing, and what constitutes restraint.
Now the two sides have apparently quietly settled their dispute, paving the way for commercial broadcasters to be licensed to play music and other intellectual property owned by GMR’s clients.
As part of the settlement, GMR has agreed that any radio station that still wishes to opt into the settlement has the opportunity to do so until March 31, 2022 by contacting GMR at radiolicensing@globalmusicrights.com. As of April 1, 2022, stations without a license from GMR will no longer be permitted to publicly perform songs within the GMR repertory.
Other details of the settlement were not disclosed.
Azoff founded GMR in 2013 and the company represents a catalog of major artists such as Bruce Springsteen, Bruno Mars, Don Henley, Bad Bunny, and Bob Seeger, among others.
