Arts+Labs Coalition Welcomes its Newest Member, Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI)
Arts+Labs Coalition Welcomes its Newest Member, Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI)
New York, NY – April 22, 2009 – Arts+Labs, a unique alliance of the technology, content and creative communities, announced today that Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI) has signed on as its newest partner. BMI, a U.S. performing rights organization whose members include leading songwriters, composers and music publishers, unites with current Arts+Labs partners AT&T, Viacom, NBC Universal, Cisco, Microsoft and the Songwriters Guild of America in an effort to forward the group’s vision of a thriving digital society.
Launched in September 2008, Arts+Labs was formed to encourage cross-industry collaborations that support a number of initiatives including: enhanced and intelligent Internet infrastructure, safe, legal and accessible distribution of content and respect and recognition of copyright. Arts+Labs aims to ensure that artists, creators and innovators can safely choose to make their works available through online distribution channels so that their right to earn fair compensation for their creativity is respected.
“We are proud to join the Arts+Labs coalition and look forward to participating with its technology and creative community members in its digital and copyright agenda,” said BMI President & CEO, Del R. Bryant. “We believe that the global economy is driven by copyright and creativity and the partnership with the digital communities is a dynamic force in this transformation. By being a member of this coalition, songwriters, copyright owners, digital technology innovators and media leaders will be able to help create and endorse systems that will ensure creators rights and fair compensation for all.”
A key element of the Arts+Labs mission is to inform and educate consumers about the availability of legal, safe, affordable and innovative entertainment content on the Internet. The group is co-chaired by Mike McCurry, former White House press secretary to President Bill Clinton (1995-1998), and Mark McKinnon, a former songwriter and newspaper editor who is widely regarded as one of the most insightful voices on the use of modern media.
“It’s an absolute pleasure to collaborate with an established group like BMI, who shares our vision of a vibrant and expanding digital marketplace,” said Arts+Labs co-chair Mike McCurry. “Arts+Labs take pride in the diverse makeup of our supporters and we’re delighted that BMI brings another collaborative voice to the table on behalf of its impressive list of its songwriters, composers and music publishers.”
“As a former songwriter myself, I appreciate how difficult it is to create music and how vital it is to be fairly rewarded for your creativity,” added Arts+Labs co-chair Mark McKinnon. “We welcome BMI and look forward to a successful partnership.”
About Broadcast Music, Inc.
Broadcast Music, Inc.® (BMI) is an American performing right organization that represents more than 375,000 songwriters, composers and music publishers in all genres of music and more than 6.5 million works. BMI’s latest financial results, $901 million for its 2008 fiscal year, are the highest performing right collections for any copyright organization in the world. BMI has represented the most popular and beloved music from around the world for over 69 years. The U.S. corporation collects license fees from businesses that use music, which it then distributes as royalties to the musical creators and copyright owners it represents.
About Arts+Labs
Arts+Labs, founded in September 2008, is a coalition of the world’s leading organizations founded upon the core belief that quality content drives the Internet; that distribution of easily accessible, affordable content in the Internet age requires new business models; and that creators deserve to benefit from their creativity. Arts+Labs aims to ensure that artists and innovators can easily and effectively share their creativity through new distribution channels online, secure in the confidence that their rights will be respected and their ingenuity rewarded. Our commitment to consumers is that we will work to keep them informed about how and where they can find and safely enjoy the vast array of legal, affordable, and innovative entertainment content on the Internet. Current members include AT&T, Viacom, NBC Universal, Cisco, Microsoft, BMI and the Songwriters Guild of America. For more information, go to www.artsandlabs.com.