RIAA Opposes NY Artists' Bill By Barry Willis November 10, 2002 — The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) has gone on record opposing the Artistic Freedom Act, introduced for consideration by the New York State Assembly on October 28 by Speaker Sheldon Silver. The bill would free artists from long-term contracts—now sometimes as long as 25 years—and would give them "free agency" status.

An RIAA spokesperson, quoted by Billboard reporter Erik Gruenwedel on November 1, said his organization doubts the AFA's chances of passage in the current economic and political climate. The spokesperson dismissed the possibility of NY lawmakers doing "anything to further harm an industry that is experiencing difficult business times, particularly if it means creating a new law to regulate contracts between private parties."

The Artistic Freedom Act would limit recording contracts to three years for unrepresented artists and seven years for artists represented by qualified legal counsel. Also sponsored by Assembly members Roger L. Green, Joe Morelle, and Catherine Nolan, the AFA has the backing of performers' organizations, including the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA), the American Federation of Musicians (AFM), and the New York–based Artist Empowerment Coalition (AEC), a group that counts Stevie Wonder and the artist once again known as Prince among its members.

The AEC has a similar agenda to California's Recording Artists Coalition (RAC), a group seeking legislative solutions for what its members perceive as oppressive contractual arrangements with the music industry. Proposed legislation similar to the AFA was withdrawn from the California Assembly earlier this year at the behest of the RAC, but will be expanded and resubmitted later this year or early next year. California state senator Kevin Murray (D-Culver City), the sponsor of the artists' rights bill, said he was "glad to see legislators taking the lead in other states. Inherently unfair contracts and loss of royalties are not just problems isolated to California-based artists."