AFTRA Praises LimeWire Settlement, Requests Info From Labels

The American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, AFL-CIO, a union of over 70,000 music industry members, praised the recent $105 million copyright infringement settlement awarded to the record labels against LimeWire and CEO Mark Gorton.

The union has also requested information from each of the major labels and subsidiaries involved, with the aim of securing a fair and appropriate share of the settlement to AFTRA recording and non-royalty artists in accordance with the union’s agreement with the labels.

“As the exclusive collective bargaining representative and voice of recording artists, AFTRA applauds this landmark settlement which awards our members their fair share of the monies they are owed as a result of LimeWire’s infringement of our members’ copyrighted works,” says Randall Himes, AFTRA Assistant National Executive Director for Sound Recordings. “AFTRA is moving quickly and aggressively to ensure that the settlement monies are apportioned fairly and disbursed timely to ensure that all artists, including AFTRA members get their rightful share.”

Specifics of the label agreement aren’t provided, but the 2010 winter edition of AFTRA Magazine claims that 90 percent of members’ earnings are tied to physical and digital sales.