Issues

Featured Issues and Campaigns

Payment Processor Best Practices for Online Copyright Infringement

What it Means for Musicians

Monday, October 24, 2011

Intellectual property theft on the internet is as rampant as it is difficult to effectively curtail. Musicians are among those who earn a living — at least in part — from their copyrights, which is why Future of Music Coalition is generally supportive of efforts to protect artists’ rights online. read more

The Band as a Business

Marcy Rauer Wagman & Paul Rapp

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

One of the most buzzed-about sessions at the 2011 Future of Music Policy Summit was our lunchtime workshop on Tuesday, October 4 on “The Band as a Business.” Presented by Paul Rapp, attorney/musician/community radio leader/writer and Adjunct Professor of Law at Albany Law School, and Marcy Rauer Wagman, managing partner at Wagman Hurwitz & Dickman and Associate Professor at Drexel University, the hour-long workshop was a practical primer on what you need to do to protect what you have, avoid train wrecks and get ever

Dude, Where's My Data? Privacy and Information Security for Musicians and Fans

Adam Holofcener and Liz Allen

Monday, August 8, 2011

I. Why Does Privacy Matter?

Everyday brings new concerns about data in the online realm. From high-profile hacking incidents to issues around the use of personal information, our migration to digital platforms has tested traditional ideas about privacy. These developments also affect musicians and fans, especially as music is increasingly accessed via mobile devices, “apps” and social networks. read more

Making Sense of the Streaming Felony Bill

Liz Allen, 2011 Google Policy Fellow

Monday, July 18, 2011

Making Sense of S. 978: Streaming as Felony?

By Liz Allen, 2011 Future of Music Policy Fellow

You may have heard about a new bill introduced by Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) that would make illegal streaming of copyrighted works a felony. If not, you can take our word for it when we say that it’s produced some strong reactions on blogs, message boards and social networks.

The Promise and Perils of Collective Licensing

Whitney Broussard

Thursday, December 2, 2010

This article is by FMC advisory board member Whitney Broussard, Esq. It originally appeared in the University of Georgia School of Law Intellectual Property Journal entitled Symposium: The Changing Face of Copyright Law: Resolving the Disconnect Between 20th Century Laws and 21st Century Attitudes (Vol 17, Number 1, Fall 2009). read more

Official Filings

As part of our mission to make sure that artists' and musicians' voices are not left out of the policy debate, FMC regularly prepares and submits public comments, documents, and testimony to the appropriate rulemaking bodies. In these documents, the FMC strives to inject the debate with information about how policies can affect artists and the public at large.

May 3, 2012

Letter to FCC Chairman Genachowski on Verizon standalone DSL discontinuance

A broad array of groups express concerns about impact of tying services on consumers & marketplaces

Future of Music Coalition joined a broad array of consumer, creator and public interest groups to express concerns about Verizon’s plans to discontinue standalone retail broadband service. We argued that the practice of tying broadband service to other services prevents consumer choice, limits consumers from porting telephone numbers, and essentially forces consumers to purchase local services they do not want – either because they have a wireless option or because they prefer to use VoIP or other alternatives. The net effect is to act as a drag on the adoption of broadband and new IP technologies as well as alternative, competitive voice options by making other standalone services economically unattractive.

Tags: broadband

May 7, 2012

FMC Comments to FCC in Fourth Further Notice on LPFM

Commission seeks public input on rulemaking for the implementation of Low Power FM service

FMC fully supports the promulgation of rules that allow for an increased number of LPFM stations as well as more diverse, original programming at those stations. Additionally, we assert that careful attention should be paid to how these stations are utilized, and whether they are helping to foster local culture and community engagement. From our perspective, this goal is at the heart of the Commission’s own work around LPFM — from the initial conception of how to best utilize these frequencies to provide true local radio to the present Notice.

This filing builds on ongoing work by FMC to ensure a more vibrant, accessible radio landscape for musicians.

Tags: localism, LPFM

More Official Filings

Fact Sheets

Confused about an issue? Start with our fact sheets.

AT&T + T-Mobile Merger

Briefs describe how the proposed merger would negatively impact musicians and other creative entrepreneurs

Full Power FM Radio Licenses

HD Radio

Low Power FM

Media Ownership