Yesterday, the U.S. District Court of the Southern District of New York made public a ruling that would require AOL, RealNetworks Inc. and Yahoo! Inc. to pay upwards of $100 million in online performance fees to ASCAP. The court released a 153 page decision based on the evidence presented by both sides.
Yesterday, the U.S. District Court of the Southern District of New York made public a ruling that would require AOL, RealNetworks Inc. and Yahoo! Inc. to pay upwards of $100 million in online performance fees to ASCAP. The court released a 153 page decision based on the evidence presented by both sides.
Bob Kimball, the general counsel for RealNetworks, said, “This is a long way from being over. To be clear, the court did not award $100 million in royalties.” He also predicts a lengthy appeals process after the decision is made final.
Nevertheless, the decision strikes a blow for songwriters and composers who wish to receive fair compensation for their works played online.
To read more about the court’s decision, head to ASCAP’s site.