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Tuesday Oct. 17, 3900



(LOS ANGELES) - The Senate late Thursday night approved legislation repealing a law passed last year that made sound recordings "works for hire" for the first time. The bill now goes to President Clinton's desk for signing. The Works Made for Hire and Copyright Corrections Act overturns the controversial work for hire law inserted by the Recording Industry Association of America into last year's Satellite Home Viewer Improvement Act and returns sound recordings to their current copyright status. Congress repealed the law after serious objections were raised this year by recording artists, including Don Henley and Sheryl Crow, and artists groups such as the Recording Academy and the American Federation of Musicians. The RIAA and artists groups came to terms on proper language after lengthy negotiations. The repeal of the legislation will once again allow recording artists to stake a claim to their master recordings for works created after 1978. If Clinton signs the law, which is likely, artists can begin reclaiming their master recordings in 2013. (The Hollywood Reporter)