We previously informed you about the Radio Music License Committee’s (RMLC) antitrust lawsuit filed against the “fourth” performing rights organization (“PRO”), Global Music Rights (“GMR”) for engaging in anticompetitive conduct designed to drive up music licensing prices. Now, GMR has filed an antitrust lawsuit of its own in a different federal court against the RMLC.
Attempting to turn the tables, GMR claims that “RMLC stations represent more than 90% of the country’s terrestrial radio revenue” and that “the RMLC flexed their collective muscle to attempt to force GMR to submit to a mandatory licensing scheme and artificially depressed license fees.”
The RMLC, for its part, wasted no time issuing a press release calling the move a “baseless, bullying lawsuit” and “an obvious ploy designed to pressure the RMLC in response to the antitrust suit the RMLC filed against GMR in federal court in Philadelphia last month.” It said that GMR’s claims were “frivolous and offensive” and “a ridiculously inefficient proposal” apparently “to force all PROs to negotiate separately with more than 10,000 radio stations.”
Karyn Ablin and Kevin Goldberg are presenting a free webinar on the fast-moving fight between the RMLC and GMR next Wednesday at 3 p.m. Eastern. If you would like to hear more on this epic battle between radio versus the latest PRO upstart, please sign up here.