A decade of work & House support may pay off for indie songwriters
CASE Act Gets Near-Unanimous House Approval
By L.A. Stevens
Roughly a year ago , songwriters and other indie creators gained major support in their fight to earn a living wage from their craft. On October 22, 2019, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Copyright Alternative in Small-Claims Enforcement (CASE) Act by a vote of 410-6.
A year later, the CASE Act has yet t0 go before the Senate for a final vote. Why? Why would this clearly-needed legislation (which would allow indie creators to sue in small claims court when their creations are used without permission), be held from approval by the Senate? The answer is Senator Ron Wyden (D., OR). With significant support from Google, Sen. Wyden has refused to allow the CASE Act to be voted upon in the Senate.
"The SGA has been pushing for passage of a bill like this for more than a decade. With this House vote, we're nearing the end of what we hope will be a successful bid to help songwriters protect their intellectual property and their ability to earn a living," said Songwriters Guild of America President Rick Carnes.
"We're elated that members of the House overcame partisan politics to lend such unanimous support to indie songwriters and other creators. And, we're especially grateful to representatives Jeffries and Collins for sponsoring this bill," he added.
The Act, if it passed the Senate, would create a board within the U.S. Copyright Office that would hear and rule on small claims copyright infringement cases. Damages would be capped at $15,000 per claim and $30,000 total. Without the small claims Act, the cost of bringing an infringement case before the federal government (upwards of $250K) has been out of range of independent songwriters. Should the bill pass the Senate, independent songwriters and other indie creators would have a realistic solution for enforcing their rights without the burden of hiring an attorney and fighting the infringement in federal court.
"The CASE Act has been a focus of SGA legislative efforts for more than a decade," said SGA Outside Legal Counsel Charlie Sanders. "I'm sure Rick and I have been like a thorn in the side of some members of Congress in our attempts to get this bill passed. We are grateful for the bi-partisan support from members of the House and we look forward to a similar vote in the Senate," he added.
Act Now!
Help the CASE Act Pass the Senate Vote
The Senate will soon vote on the CASE Act. If the CASE Act passes, for the first time in U.S. history, recouping losses for the unauthorized and unpaid use of music will be within the financial range of indie songwriters and other creators.
The Senate will soon vote on the CASE Act. Make your support of the Act clear. Visit our advocacy page and easily send a letter to your Senator.