A bill recently signed into law by President Clinton (on November 29, 1999) contains an amendment to the 1976 Copyright Act which will make EVERY song written by an artist signed to a major label a "work for hire" owned by the record company to which they are signed.

THIS IS LEGALIZED SLAVERY, as the work which artists pour their sweat and blood creating will be owned wholly by their record labels, in perpetuity. The April 8th 2000 issue of Billboard contains information on this new legislation, buried within a cover story article on legendary songwriter/musician Don Henley, who is fighting this law. The article notes that the amendment can be found as Section 1101(e) of Title1 of the Satellite home Viewer Improvement Act, part of the appropriations bill H.R. 3194, Public Law No. 106-113 as Section 101 of Title 17, United States Code, paragraph 2.

In mid-May, artists such as Henley, James Taylor, Deborah Harry, Coolio, Mary Chapin Carpenter, and Jon Bovi will participate in hearings to repeal this amendment. Billboard reports that the amendment was not even written by a Congressperson, but by a congressional staffer who was later hired as an executive at the RIAA (the Recording Industry Association of America, the leading lobby for record companies on Capitol Hill). Coincidence?

Be prepared to mobilize in mid-May to show public outrage at this atrocity of lawmaking.

DISTRIBUTE THIS E-MAIL FAR AND WIDE.

Injustice does not last long when it is brought to the light.