Talk:Harry Fox Agency

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[edit] Online Tab sites

Would it be proper to mention here the recent battles the HFA has undertaken against online tab sites? From a NPOV of course.Sabalon 14:26, 17 May 2006 (UTC)

Yes, I'd also like to see something about this:

"1. Music publishers balk at ringtone licensing mandate

That sure didn't take long. The same day the U.S. Copyright Office ruled in favor of a compulsory licensing model for ringtones, one of the leading publishing groups announced plans to ignore it. The Harry Fox Agency issued a statement saying: "This decision has no effect on HFA's existing policy that digital phonorecord delivery licenses issued by HFA on behalf of publishers are limited to the making and distribution of full downloads comprising full-length musical works and do not cover the additional configurations of ringtones or mastertones. HFA has not issued and is not issuing ringtone or mastertone licenses under the compulsory license provisions of Section 115."

HFA is no lightweight in this game. The group has basically stalled the launch plans of several digital music subscription services by demanding higher rates than existing services currently pay. Music publishers by and large are lawyers, and like nothing more than suing people, so expect this challenge to go to court post-haste.

Check out the full update: - in Digital Music News post " Mathiastck 19:20, 19 October 2006 (UTC)

HFA is not involved in the lyric/tablature lawsuits mentioned; they are the actions of its parent company, the NMPA and/or the MPA. As to the ringtone comment, HFA has been licensing ringtone companies for several years in a free market. Finally, regarding licensing online subscription services, here is CEO Gary Churgin's statement on that status of that situation: "Songwriters and music publishers have not received one penny from the online music subscription services since they began operation in 2001 under the agreement with the RIAA. While some advances were paid under that agreement, the money cannot be distributed until a rate is established. Meanwhile, everyone else in the online music economy is profiting, including the record companies. In order to ensure that publishers and songwriters begin to be paid for the use of their music by these services, HFA is seeking to enter into agreements with individual services at mutually acceptable rates pending the establishment of an industry-wide rate.” Lljay 17:31, 11 May 2007 (UTC)