Advocacy/Legislation

ASCAP was founded on February 13th in New York City in 1914 when over 100 visionary music leaders gathered at Manhattan's Hotel Claridge. For songwriters and composers, this monumental event would forever change music history.

In Free Ride: How Digital Parasites are Destroying the Culture Business, and How the Culture Business Can Fight Back, longtime Rolling Stone contributor Robert Levine argues forcefully for stronger copyright protection and offers ways to reach that goal.

The September 2011 Congressional Black Caucus Jazz Concert in Washington, DC, hosted by Congressman John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI), was headlined by renowned jazz musicians Randy Weston and Ben Williams.

ASCAP hosted a special advance screening of the political thriller, The Double, in Washington, D.C. Invitees included Members of Congress and Congressional staffers, administration officials and members of the Washington-area artistic community.

As part of ASCAP's ongoing efforts to support the rights of those who conceive and create music, songwriter and ASCAP President and Chairman Paul Williams met with copyright leaders during a recent visit to Washington, D.C.

The Librarian of Congress, Dr. James H. Billington, announced his appointment of Maria A. Pallante as the 12th Registrar of Copyrights on June 1st. She will also direct the United States Copyright Office. Ms. Pallante has been in place as Acting Registrar following the retirement of the former Registrar, Marybeth Peters on December 31, 2010. Click here for more information.

On May 26, 2011, the Senate Judiciary Committee approved unanimously by a voicevote, "The Preventing Real Online Threats to Economic Creativity and Theft of Intellectual Property Act" (PROTECT IP Act), S. 968. The legislation was introduced on May 12 focuses on new measures by which to address rogue websites that facilitate infringing activity and counterfeit products.

The ASCAP Foundation and the Library of Congress jointly celebrated the third anniversary of the ASCAP Collection at the Library of Congress – the gift by The ASCAP Foundation of original manuscripts, photos, lyric sheets and other materials.

On the day after We Write the Songs, ASCAP Board members, along with other ASCAP members who traveled to Washington, visited with elected officials to ask that they continue to bear in mind the rights and interests of music creators.

ASCAP Foundation President Paul Williams hosted an educational presentation and concert at the Library of Congress featuring three-time Grammy-winning children's and folk music performer Tom Chapin.

On March 1, the U.S. Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator, Victoria Espinel, spoke at an oversight hearing of the U.S. House Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on Intellectual Property, Competition, and the Internet.

On November 18, the United States Senate Judiciary Committee voted on important anti-piracy legislation, the "Combating Online Infringement and Counterfeit Act of 2010" (S. 3804).

ASCAP is encouraged by the news that on September 20th a bipartisan group of Senators introduced legislation to address the growing problem of online piracy and counterfeiting.

ASCAP and its songwriter, composer and music publisher members are, of course, disappointed in the Court's decision that there is no public performance in the transmission of certain musical downloads. We are studying the decision and will determine what further action is appropriate.