On May 18th, the American Society of Composers, Authors & Publishers (ASCAP) presented a 575,000-signature petition in an effort to get reformed the federal laws from 1941 that regulate how songwriters license their works. The signatures come from artists including Monica, Brian McKnight, Omi (of “Cheerleader” fame), Nate Ruess of .Fun, Bon Jovi, Pat Benatar, as well as writers like MoZella (who co-wrote Miley Cyrus’ No.1 song “Wrecking Ball”) and Priscilla Renea (who’s written for Mariah Carey, Chris Brown, Rihanna and Demi Lovato).
In a statement, ASCAP President Paul Williams said, “We’re asking policymakers to stand with songwriters at a time when our future livelihoods and the future of American music are both in jeopardy. Streaming has vastly changed music listening habits but licensing laws haven’t kept up with the way people consume music today, so songwriters are struggling… We’re asking legislators to recognize that songwriters deserve laws which enable them to be paid fairly for the use of their music.”
