Copyright Renewal Act of 1992 - Music Industry Implications

Music Industry Implications

Many critics viewed the Copyright Renewal Act of 1992, which was backed by the Recording Industry Association of America, as an attempt to prevent many songs from falling into the public domain because of procedural difficulties and mismanagement. In the past several authors had lost considerable royalties on their works because they were not aware of the renewal procedure, this act aimed to prohibit such instances from occurring.

A Billboard magazine article mentions the complaint of Jacqueline Byrd, widow of Robert Byrd, the songwriter who wrote “Little Bitty Pretty One”, the 1957 hit. Mrs. Byrd was informed by the Copyright Office that they had not received the renewal application for the song, and hence they would be ending royalty payments. Had the song been renewed, Byrd and her four children would’ve received payments till 2037. This incident was used to convince lawmakers about the need for such an amendment.

Read more about this topic:  Copyright Renewal Act Of 1992

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