SANTA MONICA, CA. (Recording Academy) - The Recording Academy, the preeminent musical arts outreach and advocacy organization, which represents thousands of music makers and produces the GRAMMY Awards, today announced that its coalition of music makers - from singers and songwriters to producers and engineers - is petitioning the Supreme Court to protect the livelihoods of everyone who makes music.
With the support of music maker and artists' rights organizations including the American Federation of Musicians (AFM), American Federation of Television and
Radio Artists (AFTRA), Country
Music Association (CMA), Gospel
Music Association (GMA), Hip-Hop Summit Action Network, Jazz Alliance International, and the Rhythm & Blues Foundation, The Recording Academy has filed a petition to the Supreme Court of the United States to hear the Metro-Goldwin-Mayer Studios, Inc., et al, v. Grokster, Ltd., et al. case.
The Coalition asked the Supreme Court to hear the case for which a lower court's ruling in favor of the file-sharing software company shielded Grokster and other such services from responsibility for the rampant copyright infringement that is the basis of their business. As the livelihood of Academy members and millions of music creators are at stake, the Academy hopes the nation's highest court will hear the case and ultimately overturn the lower court's decision.
In its petition, the Academy argued that this is a case of national importance, due to the prevalence of illegal copying on these services, and that those affected include not just the petitioners (entertainment industry companies), but also millions of individual music makers who must support themselves by selling their music. The Academy also argued that the lower court misinterpreted the landmark Sony Betamax case by applying it to a new technology that has virtually no non-infringing commercial value.
"Although many think of music makers as a hugely successful and well-to-do group of artists," said Neil Portnow, President, The Recording Academy. "In reality, most of those within the creative community lead a humble and challenging existence and depend on being paid for their work - just like everyone else - in order to survive."
The brief seeks to portray the true "David vs. Goliath" nature of this argument. As stated in the petition, "the Respondents seek to shift the focus away from the ultimate victims: the public, and the creators of recorded music and those who work with them.
Most of these individuals are not wealthy 'superstars.' They are singers, musicians, composers, producers, engineers, arrangers, technicians and the like who rely on revenues derived from the lawful sale of records to support themselves and their families. And it is those individuals and their ability to earn a living from their creative endeavors that the copyright laws are designed to protect for the benefit of our society."
