ES4850 - Copyright Licenses/Musical Performances

1. Institutional Regulations
   
   Student Activities Office will abide by the music copyright laws, making payment in accordance with existing Business Office procedures.
    
2. Procedure
   1. The copyright law provides that the composer has exclusive rights to perform his/her music publicly. This means that anyone wishing to perform such musical works must have the permission of the author or risk infringement.
   2. In most cases, composers have assigned the enforcement of copyrights to one of the performing rights agencies:
      1. Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI)
      2. American Society of Composers, Authors & Publishers (ASCAP)
      3. Society of European Stage, Authors, & Composers, Inc. (SESAC)
      4. Global Music Rights (GMR).  These agencies grant performing rights on behalf of the composers in the form of a “license” or a contract between the agency and music user.  Des Moines Area Community College initially received a contract from each of the performing rights agencies.
3. Payment
   1. Broadcast Music, Inc.: BMI offers blanket coverage for all activities at a rate based on student enrollment. Each year BMI will request student enrollment from the Student Activities office, and yearly payment will be based on this figure.
   2. Society of European Stage, Authors & Composers (SESAC): SESAC offers a blanket coverage for all activities on a sliding scale based on student enrollment and yearly payment will be determined from this figure.
   3. American Society of Composers (ASCAP): ASCAP offers blanket coverage for all activities at a rate based on student enrollment. The annual student enrollment will be requested by ASCAP and yearly payment will be determined from this figure.
   4. Global Music Rights (GMR): offers blanket coverage for all activities at a rate based on student enrollment.  The annual student enrollment will be requested by GMR and yearly payment will be determined from this figure.

September 27, 2022 - Wording changed in II. and III. to coincide with current practices.