Songwriters, composers hit back against Pandora

The performing rights organization that represents songwriters and composers blasted Internet radio service Pandora, saying the company is "trying every trick in the book" to underpay its members.

"Songwriters and composers are struggling in the digital economy to be paid fairly for their creative work," said Paul Williams, president of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, or ASCAP, in a statement. "Pandora is trying every trick in the book to brazenly and unconscionably underpay and take advantage of the creative labor that produces the core offering of their business—music written by individual songwriters and composers." Pandora Assistant General Counsel Christopher Harrison accused ASCAP of engaging in "discriminatory treatment" against the Internet radio service. Harrison also revealed that Pandora purchased an FM radio station in South Dakota so it could qualify for the same licensing terms with ASCAP as its other Internet radio competitors—such as Clear Channel-owned iHeartRadio—which would result in lower licensing fees. ASCAP licenses access to the song catalogs of songwriters and composers, which are owned by music publishers. ASCAP members write the music and lyrics of songs.