Opinion ID: 2314971
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: ascap

Text: ASCAP represents about half of the nation's composers and music publishers. These composers grant to ASCAP the non-exclusive right to license public performances of their music. [1] ASCAP has an estimated 8.5 million musical works in its repertoire. Because of concerns that ASCAP's size grants it monopoly power in the performance-rights market, it is subject to a judicially-administered consent decree, the most recent version of which was entered into on June 11, 2001. [2] United States v. ASCAP, No. 41-1395, 2001 WL 1589999, at  (S.D.N.Y. June 11, 2001). Under this Second Amended Final Judgment (AFJ2), ASCAP is required to issue a Through-to-the-Audience (TTTA) license to any operator that transmits content to other music users with whom it has an economic relationship relating to that content. AFJ2 § V. A TTTA license effectively allows the licensee to pay a single fee in exchange for the right of the licensee, as well as any of its downstream partners, to perform any of the music in ASCAP's repertoire. Thus, for example, a radio broadcaster that transmits music to various independent stations around the country could request a TTTA license to cover the performances of any of the stations receiving and playing its programming. The consent decree provides that [t]he fee for a [TTTA] license shall take into account the value of all performances made pursuant to the license. Id. The AFJ2 obliges ASCAP to issue a TTTA license to any qualified applicant seeking to perform ASCAP music within the United States. Id. Upon request, ASCAP must quote a reasonable price for such a license and enter into negotiations with the applicant. AFJ2 § IX(A). If, following a predetermined negotiation period, the parties are unable to reach agreement, either one may request the District Court for the Southern District of New York, acting as the rate court, to determine a reasonable rate.