The Justice Department said it had decided not to make any changes to the consent decrees. Justice Department officials said they expect Ascap and BMI to compete to retain members, which should prevent rates from dropping. Two years ago, both organizations asked the Justice Department to change these agreements, saying they needed to be updated to secure fair royalty rates in the digital era. The Justice Department is giving the music industry a year to comply with its new requirements. One area in which the effect of the new ruling is unclear is unregulated competitors like Global Music Rights, started three years ago by the music executive Irving Azoff.

Source: New York Times August 04, 2016 16:30 UTC