I have read the statement of your position which you presented on behalf of music publishers at the November 20th hearing of the Senate Judiciary Committee Subcommittee on copyrights chaired by Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA) relating to S. 1384, the bill to legislatively reverse the United States Supreme Court in the Mills Music case.

I think the statement covers all of the important aspects of our role as music publishers and I was particularly interested in the fact that the two writers you quoted, Burton Lane and Marvin Hamlisch, have both had long-term agreements with Chappell.

There is absolutely no question in my mind that Welk Music's activities as well as those of many other publishers, including ourselves, have made it possible for songwriters to hone their skills and reach varying degrees of success in our business.

I heartily support the position you presented at the

hearing.

IZR/mas

Best regards,

810 Seventh Avenue New York, NY 10019 (212)399-6920 (TELEX 421749)

We support the position you presented on behalf of music
publishers at the November 20, 1985 hearing of the Senate
Judiciary Committee Subcommittee on copyrights charied by
Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA) relating to S.1384-the Bill
to legislatively reverse the U.S. Supreme Court's opinion
in the Mills Music Case.

I support wholeheartedly the position you presented at the Senate Judiciary
Subcommittee Hearing chaired by Senator Specter.

etc.

"

The publisher and composer truly are on-going partners. As you are aware,
we are publishers of some of the big songs to come out of the South: "I
Never Promised You A Rose Garden," "Stormy, " "Traces," "Games People Play,"
Renewals have come up only on two songs in our young catalogue: "Young
Love" and "Be-Bop-A-Lula." The renewal on "Young Love,' which was Number 1
all over the world were readily assigned to us by the writers who are still
living. On Be-Bop-A-Lula, which also was a worldwide hit, we had to deal
with their heirs who were not familiar with all the work we had done as
publisher in popularizing the song and that we were solely responsible for
the writer and father having a recording contract at Capitol under the name
of Gene Vincent and The Blue Caps. The living writer, Bill Davis, readily
assigned the renewal to us, while it took many months dealing with ambulance-
chasing lawyers knowing the renewal was due who had preyed on the youngsters
as heirs. One was setting up a Publishing Company, which he was half owner
of to publish the song. We finally resolved it, but with much concern by
all of us who worked so hard to make the song the success it has been. We
would truly have been upset if we thought the rewards for all the work we
had done in the field of motion pictures, television, other recordings, etc.,
would be the property of someone who, in fact, had nothing to do with the
song.

cl

Thank you for a copy of your statement at the hearing of the Senate
Judiciary Committee Subcommittee on copyrights relating to S.1384 - the
bill which would reverse the Supreme Court's decision in the Mills Music
Case.

The statements you made are fair and just. We are in complete
agreement.

With kindest regards,

Види плас

Ralph Peer, II
President

RP/ps

6777 Hollywood Blvd. • Los Angeles, CA 90028 • (213) 469-1667 • Cable: SOUTHMUSIC • TWX: 910 3214098