Home › Forums › Copyright Questions › BMI writer, ASCAP publisher: can you do that?
Tagged: ascap, BMI, publishing company
- This topic has 4 replies, 4 voices, and was last updated 6 days, 20 hours ago by HONESTI.
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- Mesa Sand MusicParticipant
My wife’s co-writer just informed me that he has set up a publishing company through ASCAP for his works, but he is a BMI writer. When I questioned him about it, he said he knows several other writers who have done the same thing.
I had always seen everywhere that a BMI writer’s works have to be in a BMI publishing company, ASCAP writer’s in an ASCAP pub, etc. Has anyone seen this done before? Do the PRO’s go along with this?
Art MunsonKeymasterI had always seen everywhere that a BMI writer’s works have to be in a BMI publishing company,
I believe that is correct but check with BMI to make sure.
ibsenproducerParticipantyes she can do that!
MichaelLParticipantI had always seen everywhere that a BMI writer’s works have to be in a BMI publishing company, ASCAP writer’s in an ASCAP pub, etc. Has anyone seen this done before?
That is correct. Get more of the details from your wife’s co-writer.
Yes, a BMI writer can have an ASCAP publishing entity. I had an ASCAP publishing entity as a BMI writer, but I was publishing the works of ASCAP writers, not mine.
Some composers who are members of one PRO, which may be the case with your wife’s co-writer, have a family member (like a spouse) join the other PRO and then they establish a publishing entity with the other PRO. Is it legit? I don’t know. Do the PRO’s like it? Maybe not, but it’s been going on for decades.
At the end of the end of the day, I’m not sure what the point is unless you are publishing the works of a writer that belongs to the other society.
If it’s some kind of scheme to double-dip, the people involved will eventually get caught and then the PROs will take their money back (at a minimum).
HONESTIGuesthow can you sucesfully register music on ASCAP or BMI if the writers are BMI and a publisher is ASCAP?
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