The Ivors Academy and Musician's Union lambast Moonbug Entertainment for demanding that composers handover performing rights royalites. The Ivors Academy and Musicians’ Union – who between them represent tens of thousands of musicians, songwriters and composers in the UK – have condemned the use of a ‘letter of direction’ by Moonbug Entertainment to force composers to assign the company all revenues from performing rights royalties when signing a contract with them (e.g. just being paid a flat fee for their work and no royalties at a later date).
With offices in London and LA, Moonbug creates and publishes programmes and podcasts for children. It's an iffy situation, with the commissioning companies mostly holding all the power. Tom Gray, Chair of The Ivors Academy said this week that “this underhand and coercive behaviour by Moonbug Entertainment must stop immediately. It is the latest coercive practice designed to undermine both the value of composers and the collective rights management system. No composer should agree to these terms and no music publisher should support this practice." Via Ivors Academy (https://musiciansunion.org.uk/)