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Music industry, artists applaud Congress, Trump for updating U.S. copyright law

By Nicholas Sakelaris   |   Updated Oct. 11, 2018 at 4:17 PM
President Donald Trump hugs Rapper Kanye West during a meeting Thursday in the Oval Office of the White House before the president signed a law to update U.S. copyright laws. Photo by Oliver Contreras/UPI Rapper Kanye West hands President Donald Trump a pen to sign an updated music copyright law at the White House Thursday. Photo by Oliver Contreras/UPI Kanye West speaks during a meeting in the Oval office with President Donald Trump at the White House on Thursday. Photo by Oliver Contreras/UPI President Donald Trump shakes hands with Kid Rock prior signing a H.R. 1551, the 'Orrin G. Hatch-Bob Goodlatte Music Modernization Act' during a ceremony in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, D.C. on Thursday. Photo by Oliver Contreras/UPI Kid Rock attends a signing ceremony as President Donald Trump signs the H.R. 1551, the 'Orrin G. Hatch-Bob Goodlatte Music Modernization Act' in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, DC, October 11, 2018. Photo by Oliver Contreras/UPI President Donald Trump signs a H.R. 1551, the 'Orrin G. Hatch-Bob Goodlatte Music Modernization Act' during a ceremony in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, D.C. on Thursday. Photo by Oliver Contreras/UPI President Donald Trump holds up a signed H.R. 1551, the 'Orrin G. Hatch-Bob Goodlatte Music Modernization Act' during a ceremony in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, D.C. on Thursday. Photo by Oliver Contreras/UPI Legendary singers Sam Moore (R) and Mike Love of the Beach Boys (L) share a laugh as Rep. Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., looks on outside the White House after President Donald Trump signed the Music Modernization Act Thursday. Photo by Pat Benic/UPI Guitarist Jeffrey "Skunk" Baxter makes comments after President Donald Trump signed the Music Modernization Act that protects copyrights in the digital age, in Washington, D.C. on Thursday. Photo by Pat Benic/UPI Legendary singer Sam Moore waves outside the White House after President Donald Trump signed the Music Modernization Act that protects copyrights in the digital age, in Washington, D.C. on Thursday. Photo by Pat Benic/UPI Rep. Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., makes comments after President Donald Trump signed the Music Modernization Act that protects copyrights in the digital age, in Washington, D.C. on Thursday. Photo by Pat Benic/UPI

Oct. 11 (UPI) -- Musicians will get a greater share of the money for music they create under updated U.S. copyright law that was signed by President Donald Trump Thursday.

The president welcomed various artists to the White House for a signing ceremony, including Kid Rock, Kanye West, Beach Boys singer Mike Love and country singer Craig Morgan.

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"The Music Modernization Act closes loopholes in our digital royalties laws to ensure that songwriters, artists and producers receive fair payment for licensing music," Trump said before signing the bill into law.

The new law protects intellectual property and sets up a single licensing system for music, whether it's streamed or bought digitally or in physical form.

The bill passed both houses of Congress unanimously.

"They create some of the more incredible music, some great music," Trump said. "These people are going to become even richer than they are, but that's OK."

Musical artists have been pushing for the law for years, Soul legend Sam Moore said.

"With [President George W.] Bush we couldn't get it done. When [President Barack] Obama was in we couldn't get it done. But we got it done with this man," Moore said of Trump.

The final bill is the result of years of compromise and political involvement from music artists and the National Music Publishers Association.

"Songwriters have for too long labored without seeing fair rates and receiving all that they deserve, and for the first time in history, the music industry has partnered with the tech industry to fix these systemic problems," NMPA President David Israelite said in a statement.