Ho Al, How're you doin'?
On 10-Apr-98 at 17:28:06, Al Thompson wrote to Jeff Edmonson about
Re: new rules
 AT> In other words, I don't know how ASCAP/BMI knows if a band
 AT> plays a Pink Floyd tune or not, which would determine if PF is
 AT> owed royalties.
I assume that ASCAP do pretty much the same as our PRS.  
There is a form which is supposed to be filled in at the time of
performance, but few people bother to do it properly.  This
indicates the material performed and the composer, etc, etc.
Any royalties collected which are not directly attributable to a
composer are held in a separate account and this is
eventually divided up between all the composers on the societies
list.
Although it might seem that it means the top writers tend to lose
out (which is true) it does mean that royalties are paid to the
lesser mortals - who might otherwise never see a penny for their
efforts due to cover artists not even knowing who wrote the original
they are copying and not filling in the forms properly in the
first case .
Although there is a degree of inequibility in the system, I've never
heard anyone *really* complain about it.
Keep 'em comin'
Graeme in Dover, England
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