White House
The Music Modernization Act Signed into Law
Written October 16, 2018
Congress recently passed the Orrin G. Hatch–Bob Goodlatte Music Modernization Act, which the president signed into law on October 11, 2018. The bipartisan and unanimously-enacted legislation updates music licensing to better facilitate legal licensing of music by digital services.
The legislation addresses Congress’s determination that copyright law had not kept pace with changing consumer preferences and technological developments in music. The law has three key components, Title I—Music Licensing Modernization; Title II—Classics Protection and Access; and Title III—Allocation for Music Producers. The law is effective as of October 11, 2018 but some aspects become applicable later.
The legislation addresses Congress’s determination that copyright law had not kept pace with changing consumer preferences and technological developments in music. The law has three key components, Title I—Music Licensing Modernization; Title II—Classics Protection and Access; and Title III—Allocation for Music Producers. The law is effective as of October 11, 2018 but some aspects become applicable later.