Anthrax Fear Damage By Inclusion On 'Fair Play' List

(Metal Hammer) Anthrax say the wording of a campaign aimed at getting fairer royalty payments for bands could actually end up hitting them in the pocket. The thrash icons have penned an open letter to music mogul Irving Azoff - who has managed bands including Van Halen, Guns N' Roses and the Eagles - and asked him to clarify the wording of a lawsuit launched by his firm Global Music Rights (GMR).

Azoff and GMR are locked in a legal battle with the Radio Music Licensing Committee, which represents radio stations in the US. Azoff's GMR holds the rights to a string of top acts and is demanding that radio stations pay more for the right to play their clients' music. GMR is warning US radio stations that they will face legal action if they play any songs by GMR artists after January 1, 2017, without agreeing to the firm's licensing terms.

GMR's decision to name Anthrax among the long list of songs in its repertoire is misleading, the band says, because they are not represented by Azoff's firm and that the only song in their name that is included is their 1999 cover of Metallica's Phantom Lord.

Anthrax say: "Dear Mr Azoff. As artists and songwriters, we certainly appreciate anyone's efforts to see that we are paid a fair wage for the use of our music, 'fair pay for fair play,' as your lawsuit against the Radio Music License Committee states.

"As a result of your suit, our understanding is that as of January 1, 2017, more than 10,000 US-based radio stations could be fined if they program songs written by a songwriter represented by your company, Global Music Rights, without first obtaining the proper license. We certainly understand and respect that.

"However, you've included Anthrax on your 'What Songs are in the Global Music Rights repertoire' and that mere inclusion presents a skewed and unjust misrepresentation of the complete facts. This could be very damaging to us and to our fellow performers who may find themselves in a similar situation." Read more here.

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