Music Modernization Act
Floor Speech
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Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, what an honor it is to stand here today and to celebrate the bipartisan work that has been done on this legislation and to bring it to this point.
Indeed, this is something on which we can all agree: that the creative community, these wonderful creators, have that constitutional protection to what they create, the right to be compensated for their creation. And I am so appreciative that that has already been mentioned in this debate.
Chairman Goodlatte said I come from music-loving Tennessee, and indeed I do. And we are so pleased that we are known as Music City and that, whether it is classical music or country or gospel, that you are going to hear music from every hill and every valley. And we treasure that creative community and protecting that product that they do create.
Now, one of the things that has happened through time: With the change of delivery systems, it has become more difficult for these artists and these creators and the support network around them, the engineers, those who work on producing this product, to be appropriately compensated. This bill, as Doug Collins mentioned, has been in the works for years; and the CLASSICS Act, to take care of those who are now no longer able to tour and to make certain that they and their heirs are able to be compensated for that music that they have created.
One thing to bear in mind: Songwriters and musicians are truly small- business people. They work for themselves. Their stock and trade is their idea. And they have the right to commercialize that idea and to be compensated. The Music Modernization Act and the different bills that it brings together to update this system, to protect those copyrights, and to make certain that the creators are compensated, has been a collaborative effort.
Chairman Goodlatte and Congressman Collins have been to Nashville several times to meet with stakeholders and to hear their stories firsthand. We are grateful for that, we are grateful for the bipartisanship, and we are very grateful for the passage of this legislation.
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