Working on both Federal and state levels, AFTRA works with other organizations to establish protections for artists' work, particularly in the recording industry where accounting aberrations and financial structure harm the artist.

STOP! Initiative - In October 2004, the federal government launched the STOP! (Strategy Targeting Organized Piracy) Initiative -- a comprehensive Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) initiative that has elevated cooperation between the federal government, the private sector, and many of our trading partners in an aggressive, unified effort against piracy and IPR theft. The STOP! Initiative is designed to crack down on the criminal networks that traffic in counterfeit and pirated products, stop trade in these goods around the globe and at America's borders, and help American businesses and creators secure and enforce their rights in overseas markets.  Click here to find out more>>

California:  AB 64 Anti-Piracy Legislation.  This anti-piracy legislation was signed into law on February 22, 2006, authored by Assemblymember Rebecca Cohn and co-authored by Senator Kevin Murray.  The bill amends a section of the California Penal Code to reduce the required number of audio recordings involved from 1,000 to 100 in order to prosecute an offense as a felony. Under the new law, the failure to disclose the origin (manufacturer, author, artist, performer, or producer) of a recording when done for financial gain can be prosecuted as a felony if the offense involves at least 100 articles of audio recordings. The law also includes failure to disclose origins of audiovisual works, but that number had been previously reduced to 100. 

AFTRA Applauds Introduction of New Payola Bill.  Press Release>>

November 3, 2005 - SoundExchange Files Direct Case Requesting Market-Based Webcasting Royalty Rates. Press Release>>

July 25, 2005 - Sony Settles Payola Investigation.  Company Acknowledges Problems; Agrees to Sweeping Reforms.   Press Release>>

June 2005 - Creative Community Praises Supreme Court Decision in Grokster Case.  In a decision announced on June 27, 2005, the United States Supreme Court overturned the ruling of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in favor of the plaintiffs in the case of MGM, et al., vs. Grokster, Ltd., et al.  Click here to read the Press Release>>

March 2005 - AFTRA Files Amici Brief in Second Circuit to Uphold Anti-Bootlegging Statute.  Click here for details>>

March 2005 - AFTRA Requests the Copyright Office Examine the Issue of Out-of-Print Sound Recording Copyrights.  Click here for details>>

January 2005 - AFTRA, along with the AFM, SAG, DGA and WGA, submitted an amici curiae "friend of the court" brief to the Supreme Court asking that it reverse the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruling and to hold the profit making Grokster and StreamCast peer-to-peer internet "file sharing" networks liable when copyrighted works are infringed on their networks. Press Release>>  Amicus Brief>>

January 2005 - AFTRA and Other Recording Artist Groups File Joint Reply Comments with the FCC on the Issue of Localism.  Click here to read the Comments in their entirety>>

November 2004 - AFTRA and the American Federation of Musicians file Comments with the FCC on the issue of broadcast stations and the needs of local communities.


Washington, D.C., August 2, 2004 - Artist Groups and Unions File Joint Reply Comments on Transition to Digital Audio Broadcasting at FCC. Groups call on Commission to protect fair compension for the creative music professionals who provide the backbone of the broadcast industry.
     . click here to read the full press release>>
     . click here to read the reply comments in their entirety>>
    
Washington, D.C., July 15, 2004.  AFTRA Asks Congress for Performance Right for Sound Recordings.  AFTRA, AFM, FMC and RAC submit testimony to the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts, the Internet and Intellectual Property at Oversight Hearing on Internet Streaming of Radio Broadcasts:  Balancing the Interests of Sound Recording Copyright Owners with those of Broadcasters.  click here to read the testimony>>

California: Governor Signs Bill (SB 1034) Setting Out Recording Artists' Right to Audit Record Labels.  more info>>

AFTRA Hails $50 Million Royalty Payout to Recording Artists>>

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