September 13, 2019

Department of Justice Releases Public Comments re: PRO Consent Decrees

On September 12, 2019, the Department of Justice, Antitrust Division, released information and comments filed in response to its call for public comment as to whether or not the ASCAP and BMI Consent Decrees continue to protect competition or if they should be terminated. Filed prior to the August 9 deadline for comment, Jason Turner provided the DOJ with various materials relating to the recent dispute between ASCAP and Shane McAnally as it pertains to McAnally’s resignation and withdrawal from ASCAP, and ASCAP’s refusal to pay radio premiums for McAnally’s works licensed by ASCAP post-resignation.

In the filing, Turner advocates for the DOJ’s continued oversight of ASCAP and BMI while encouraging the Department to implement certain modifications to the existing Consent Decrees to further protect songwriters and publishers. Turner referenced the ASCAP/McAnally Arbitration Award, wherein the three arbitrators castigated ASCAP for the unfair, discriminatory and unreasonable manner in which ASCAP treated McAnally and for ASCAP’s utter lack of transparency in disclosing its rules (some of which, were found to actually not exist anywhere in writing).

Turner’s filing can be found here:
PC-380
PC-380a
PC-380b
PC-380c
PC-380d
PC-380e
PC-380f
PC-380g
PC-380h
PC-380i
PC-380j