Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/87061
For Members NEW AGREEMENTS BENEFIT RECORDING ARTISTS Intellectual Property Rights Distribution Fund, digital music performance rights organization SoundExchange has reached new international agreements for artists whose works are downloaded or streamed in four countries. The agreements for collection of royalties are with foreign artist societies in Cyprus, Germany, Japan and Sweden. The nonprofit SoundExchange is a performance rights W orking with SAG-AFTRA, the American Federation of Musicians (AFM) and the AFM and SAG-AFTRA Funds trustees and SAG-Producers Pension and Health Plans trustees to move forward to undertake action to create a unified health plan for performers, broadcasters, recording artists and others working under SAG-AFTRA collective bargaining agreements, and to implement immediately a reciprocity agreement between the two existing health plans. The Funds and Plans are separate entities from the union, O organization that collects statutory royalties from satellite radio, Internet radio, cable television music channels and similar platforms that stream music. SoundExchange has agreements and partnerships with 23 organizations worldwide. The new agreements allow for the collection of digital performance royalties on behalf of featured recording artists, including members of both SAG-AFTRA and AFM. The agreements also allow for the AFM and SAG-AFTRA Fund to collect digital royalties for non-featured artists from the four territories. SoundExchange's partnership with the union has continued n July 22, the SAG-AFTRA Board of Directors voted overwhelmingly to urge AFTRA Health & Retirement BOARD URGES PLANS AND FUNDS TO MOVE FORWARD governed by Boards of Trustees made up of an equal number of trustees appointed by management and by the union. On Aug. 11, in response to the board's action, the SAG-AFTRA trustees met to confirm that their first priority is the expeditious consideration of such a reciprocity agreement, which will permit the plans to address the growing problem of split earnings that has resulted in the loss of coverage for some plan participants. POKER PARTIES BENEFIT MEMBERS with the appointment of SAG-AFTRA Chief Administrative Officer and General Counsel Duncan Crabtree-Ireland as one of three new members on its Board of Directors. The other two appointees are Ray Hair of the AFM and Paul Robinson of Warner Music Group. TRUSTEES MEET After the merger, the newly renamed AFM and SAG-AFTRA Intellectual Property Rights Distribution Fund convened its annual trustees meeting. The Fund was established for the purpose of distributing royalties to musicians and vocalists from various foreign territories and royalties established by government statute under U.S. copyright law. From left, American Federation of Musicians Sound Recording Division Manager Jo-Anne McGettrick; AFM and SAG-AFTRA IPRD Fund Administrator Dennis Dreith; SAG-AFTRA Trustee Stefanie Taub; AFM and SAG- AFTRA IPRD Fund Audiovisual Division Manager Shari Hoffman; and SAG-AFTRA Trustee Duncan Crabtree-Ireland. 14 SAG-AFTRA | Fall 2012 | SAGAFTRA.org Nelson Sick and Benefit Fund of the AFTRA Foundation, which assists SAG-AFTRA members in need. Poker Party is taking place Oct. 20 (postponed from an earlier date) at the Mulholland Tennis Club in Los Angeles and will be hosted by Camryn Manheim. Proceeds benefit the Frank W e're not bluffing! The Frank Nelson Fund Celebrity For ticket info, contact Olga Perez at (323) 634-8104 or olga.perez@sagaftra.org. benefitting the Don LaFontaine Voice-Over Lab. Along with poker, guests enjoyed live mariachi music, a wonderful silent auction, an entertaining photo booth and a captivating game of rock, paper, scissors. From leſt, Don LaFontaine Voice-Over Lab Advisory Board members Scott Rummell, Josh Daugherty and Joe Cipriano with SAG Foundation Executive Director Jill Seltzer. T he SAG Foundation celebrated with the voiceover community on Aug. 11 at its 2nd Annual Poker Classic Eric Charbonneau