Artist Coalition campaign set back

The Recording Artists Coalition, led by Eagles frontman Don Henley, Sheryl Crow and the Dixie Chicks, who are lobbying for a change in the US law that lets record labels tie artists to contracts of seven years or more, had a set back yesterday when the Democratic Senator championing their cause withdrew a bill from the California state assembly. Senator Kevin Murray said the bill was being withdrawn to be pursued again next year - along with other music industry issues, including accounting practices and other artists' rights. The artists, who count Courtney Love, Beck and Fleetwood Mac star Stevie Nicks among others as supporters, are campaigning against the long contracts record labels are able to demand of their artists (longer than contracts used in the film or TV industries) and a 1987 exemption in US labour legislation that allows record companies to sue musicians and singers for albums not produced over the course of their seven-year contracts. Murray’s bill had already moved from the California state senate to the assembly, where the Committee on Arts, Entertainment, Sports, Tourism and Internet Media encouraged both sides to negotiate a settlement. As a result talks had taken place between the RAC and the RIAA but, although the RIAA claimed to have made key concessions, negotiations stalled after artists refused to move from original demands. Don Henley subsequently claimed that the RIAA had sabotaged negotiations with what he called a "misleading and contradictory press release". However, despite the bill withdrawal, Murray and RAC are believed to be still working together. In fact some are suggesting Murray and the RAC mutually decided to withdraw the bill because they felt that the committee on arts and entertainment, chaired by Democratic Assemblywoman Rebecca Cohn, was too pro-recording industry. Ms Cohn has denied these rumoured allegations, telling the BBC: "After over a year of good faith negotiations between the recording labels and the artists, it is unfortunate that Murray pulled the bill instead of letting members of the Assembly hear the issue."