SiriusXM's Profits Proof It Should Pay Pre-1972 Royalties, Says musicFIRST

SiriusXM’s Q3 earnings of $136 million make clear that the company should pay pre-1972 public performance royalties, said the musicFIRST Coalition in a blog post Friday. SiriusXM “pleads poverty to Congress and runs to the courts to avoid paying pre-72 royalties while gorging on profits that would make Scrooge McDuck blush,” it said. The digital streaming company didn’t comment. SiriusXM has lost two recent California court battles on the issue of pre-1972 performance royalties. Like U.S. District Court in Los Angeles Judge Philip Gutierrez in September (see 1409240079), Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Mary Strobel handed down a decision in October in favor of plaintiffs Flo & Eddie, who own the sound recordings of The Turtles, a 1960’s music group (see 1410160001). SiriusXM is appealing those rulings, said musicFIRST. Public performance royalties are expected to play a key role in music licensing debates on Capitol Hill next year (see 1410090092).