MLC Seeking Suggestions For Board of Directors, Advisory Committee Candidates

The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC) is accepting suggestions for publisher candidates for its Board of Directors and for select committees, including the Unclaimed Royalties Oversight committee, Dispute Resolution committee, and Operations Advisory committee.

Under the Music Modernization Act of 2018 (MMA), certain governance positions at The MLC are reserved for representatives of publishers. The MLC will submit all recommendations it receives to the Board’s Publisher Nominating Committee for consideration. Elections will be held this summer.

Under The MLC’s Bylaws, a publisher means a music publisher to which songwriters have assigned exclusive rights of reproduction and distribution of musical works with respect to covered activities. Covered activities means the making of digital phonorecord deliveries of musical works, including in the form of permanent downloads, limited downloads, or interactive streams, where such activity qualifies for a compulsory license under Section 115 of the U.S. Copyright Act.

Board and committee members sit for three-year terms and may be re-elected. Seats are filled pursuant to The MLC’s Bylaws. The MLC Board of Directors and committees meet regularly, and all meetings allow for virtual participation. More information on The MLC’s Board of Directors and advisory committees can be found here.

Suggestions should be made no later than May 26, 2022. To suggest a candidate, click here.

The openings on The MLC’s advisory committees are as follows:
– Two publisher seats on the Unclaimed Royalties Oversight Committee, which recommends policies and procedures to The MLC’s Board related to the distribution of unclaimed accrued royalties;
– One publisher seat on the Dispute Resolution Committee, which recommends to the Board policies and procedures for the processing of royalties related to works that are subject to disputes over ownership; and
– Two publisher openings on the Operations Advisory Committee, which makes recommendations to the Board concerning the operations of the collective, including the efficient investment in and deployment of information technology and data resources.