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The Landmark Court Case - 'A Brighter Future for Songwriters'
In the seventies, Macaulay mounted a court case against
his then music publisher, Aaron Schroeder Music Ltd, which
would change the music industry forever. Until 1975, many
music publishers - including Schroeder - engaged in what
is known as 'double dipping' - an accounting practice that
ensured they kept substantially more of a songwriters' foreign
income than what was evident from the contract.
Macaulay fought to have his exclusive agreement with Schroeder
set aside, becoming the first writer to challenge this widespread
activity. After seven years of litigation, on both sides
of the Atlantic, the matter was finally decided in the House
of Lords (the UK equivalent of the US Supreme Court) - it
became the first and only show business case to be heard
at that level. The Law Lords ruled that the terms of the
contract in question were, 'in restraint of trade and contrary
to public policy', and overturned it - outlawing double-dipping,
once and for all.
In the years that followed, many world-famous songwriters
were to use this precedent to free themselves from onerous
publishing agreements.
Music publishing, today, is a kinder, more equitable business
than that of old - in some small part, due to Macaulay's
case. Its long term impact on songwriter's welfare contributed
to Macaulay being honoured in 1995 with 'The Jimmy Kennedy
Award' - given by The British Academy of Songwriter and
Composers for outstanding services to the music industry.
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