SiriusXM has been hit by a combined lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles by the big beast record companies. Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment, Warner Music Group, Capitol Records and the indie company ABKCO Music & Records, Inc. have combined to take SiriusXM to court.
Their beef is to do with recordings which Sirius has broadcast, but which date from before the year 1972. The reason that year is important is that it is the year in which recordings came under centralized U.S. law, rather than being subject to state laws. Which means that, although SiriusXM has paid copyright charges for the post-1972 recordings it has used, the recording companies charge that they owe for the earlier recordings.
The focus of the lawsuit is clearly pop, rather than classical music. The frontwoman for the campaign is Dionne Warwick, who said in a statement that, "The great artists played on the '40s, '50s and '60s stations should be treated with respect and properly compensated as SiriusXM is required to do, so I am asking SiriusXM not to 'Walk On By' and do the right thing!"
Another singer, Judy Collins, has also given her star power to the action, as has the guitarist and songwriter Steve Cropper.
Neither is this the first lawsuit filed against SiriusXM on the subject. Two earlier suits were filed against them over this summer. The record companies are serious, and they're out for compensation.
Quite what this means for classical music, or indeed the network, itself, is as yet unclear. SiriusXM is a satellite radio service based in the United States. It serves many tastes including classical, with offerings such as its "Symphony Hall" channel. And the network's 25 million-plus subscribers mean that its revenues are seriously impressive, nearly $3.5 billion in 2012.
With the recording industry facing its own challenges, clearly there are those who want, and feel they rightfully deserve, a taste of that pot.
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