BUM RAP FOR IRISH MUSICIANS IN THE US?
On January 1st, 2001, New copyright legislation was introduced into Ireland and as a consequence R.A.A.P. (Recorded Artists and Performers) was set up to administer any monies accruing form the law. The 2001 legislation gave the right to claim monies due to all Irish Artists and Performers, featured and non-featured to a payment when a sound recording that they have contributed to is publicly broadcast in Ireland. This right has existed in other countries for quite some time. But, it does not extend to the US, which has the biggest radio market in the world. Currently visitors to the RAAP website are urged to sign the following letter which is campaigning for Royalties for members who’s work is often played for free in the US. The online letter reads as follows:
“Making a living from music requires talent, creativity and hard work. Artists and musicians the world over depend on the simple idea that when a radio station broadcasts our music, we are rewarded by a royalty payment. Today in the United States, the world’s biggest commercial radio sector, worth $20 billion, pays absolutely nothing for the music which draws its audience and drives its business. While corporate radio profits from the music we create, performers in the US and everywhere else are getting no reward for our work.
This is grossly unfair and leaves the U.S. almost totally out of sync with the rest of the world. From the aspiring career musician to the well-known star, performers today are being denied the payments in the U.S. that we receive in virtually every other country in the world. No other free-market nation in Europe or North America fails to pay broadcast royalties to artists and performers. It is ironic that the U.S. government, which proudly fights to protect the rights of artists and musicians in foreign countries, is today failing artists and musicians in its own backyard.
We ask legislators in the U.S. to deliver a fair deal for artists when their music is played on the radio. We do not seek any subsidies or special favours; all we ask for is for fair payment from the people that exploit our work to generate their own successful businesses.
If you are a musician who’s work has been broadcast in the US, you may wish to look at the RAAP website for more details, please visit www.raap.ie.” Membership of RAAP is free and forms can be downloaded via the website.
