November 20, 2004 -- On behalf of the U.S. music publishing industry, The National Music Publishers' Association (NMPA) and The Harry Fox Agency, Inc. (HFA) applaud the unanimous passage of the Copyright Royalty and Distribution Act of 2004 by Congress, and the anticipated signature into law by President Bush. "We are gratified with the passage of this Act, which among its important reforms, will replace the current Copyright Arbitration Royalty Panels (CARPs), which can be expensive and cumbersome, with experienced and knowledgeable judges to streamline the rate setting process," said Irwin Z. Robinson, Chairman of the NMPA and HFA. "We have been working with the RIAA and DiMA on the creation and passage of this bill for several years. This Act creates a better environment for all concerned for the negotiation and setting of rates that fairly compensate copyright owners for the use their works for products and services in the marketplace." Music publishers control the copyrights for the underlying compositions of songs on behalf of the songwriters they represent. The NMPA is the leading trade association in the United States for music publishers, and advocates for their interests and that of their songwriter partners to protect, uphold, and advance their valuable copyrights. HFA, a subsidiary of the NMPA, is the premier U.S. mechanical rights organization. About The NMPA Founded in 1917, The National Music Publishers' Association (NMPA) is a trade association representing more than 800 American music publishers. The NMPA’s mandate is to protect and advance the interests of music publishers and their songwriter partners in matters relating to the domestic and global protection of music copyrights. About The Harry Fox Agency Established in 1927 by the National Music Publishers' Association, HFA represents over 27,000 U.S. music publishers for their mechanical licensing needs, issuing licenses and collecting and distributing royalties. HFA also provides collection and monitoring services to its U.S. publisher clients for music distributed and sold in over 75 territories around the world. For more information about HFA, or to become an affiliate publisher or a licensee, see www.harryfox.com.