In response to this morning's decision by the U.S. Supreme Court upholding the 1998 Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act (CTEA), which extended copyright protection an extra 20 years -- to the life of the author plus 70 years, ASCAP President and Chairman Marilyn Bergman issued the following statement...

"The Supreme Court's decision supporting copyright term extension is a tremendous victory for America's composers and lyricists -- those men and women who are the purest entrepreneurs because they face an empty page and, out of the 'factory of their minds,' create the music that speaks to the essence of what we are all about. Our copyright system must assure that our creative efforts receive proper reward, protection that we can pass on at least to our children and grandchildren. It must assure that we, and those who invest in our works, will receive at least a chance of economic success, here and abroad. Congress recognized these needs by enacting the Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act, and the Supreme Court did likewise by upholding it. It is a great day for ASCAP's writer and publisher members, for all American creators, and, indeed, for the nation as a whole."

Marilyn Bergman was elected President of ASCAP in 1994. She and her husband, Alan Bergman, are among the most distinguished lyric-writing teams in American music. Recipients of three Academy Awards, three Emmy Awards and two GRAMMYs, Marilyn and Alan Bergman's best-known works include "The Way We Were," "The Windmills of Your Mind," the lyric score to Yentl, "Nice 'n' Easy," "You Don't Bring Me Flowers," and numerous other standards.