A California Federal Judge gave a split decision in the competing antitrust lawsuits filed by Global Music Rights (GMR) and the Radio Music Licensing Committee (RMCL) against each other, reported Billboard. Each entity had filed a motion to dismiss each others’ antitrust lawsuits, but the Judge denied both motions.
Senior US Western District of California Judge Terry Hatter wrote in both rulings that GMR and RMLC had both alleged “sufficient facts to state a claim” for each of its three (antitrust) claims against one another. “However, whether [GMR and RMLC] can, ultimately, prove [their] claims is not a proper consideration at this juncture,” according to Judge Hatter, who used the same exact wording in both rulings.
In a statement, GMR said that the Judge’s ruling “clears the way for GMR to challenge the cartel power which the RMLC has exerted over songwriters for decades.” The statement further claimed that the Judge’s ruling means “the court rejected the core arguments made by the RMLC in an attempt to justify its decades of illegal collusion to pay songwriters below-market rates.”
“We look forward to having our day in court with the RMLC cartel to stand up for songwriters,” said GMR Founder Irving Azoff. “It’s well past due for them to finally be treated fairly by broadcast radio.”
Full Content: Billboard
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