The Truth In Music Bill was created to protect the artists from Identity theft
and to protect the Consumer from being mis-lead to believe they are seeing the legendary artists that made the hits songs famous - when in fact they are not.

The Truth in Music Law is designed to stop unscrupulous concert promoters from deceiving the public with “impostor groups” which have no connection, legal or otherwise, to the authentic groups. Fundamentally, this is a consumer protection bill, as the public pays hard-earned money to see a show and has no idea what it’s even getting. The bill makes it mandatory for a live performance to include at least one recording member of the group who still has the right to use the group name. Otherwise, the act must be billed as a“tribute” or a “salute” so that the public knows what it’s paying for.

An ancillary effect of this bill is to help the authentic artists themselves,
who have been struggling for many years to try to stop impostors to no avail. The impostor groups take their jobs, their money, their legacy and their applause.

The bill is necessary because existing law has completely failed to work
and impostor groups have multiplied. There may be as many as 50 groups of “Coasters” and “Platters” performed nationwide, often at the same time in different venues.
 
The bill shifts the burden to those groups to prove that they actually have rights to the group names. The specific guidelines the bill provides give clarity to venues as to whom to book, and to the state attorney general’s office as to what constitutes a violation. This is much more efficient and cost-effective than any other way of
dealing with this very specialized area.

Because of the above, we have passed the BILL in 33 states including

California, Connecticut, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, Maine, Minnesota, New Jersey,
North Dakota, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Road Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and fully sponsored in Arkansas, Georgia, Mississippi & New Mexico.

The Federal Bill is fully sponsored and to be introduced in the Fall of 2009.

Progress for 2010 underway in Alaska, Alabama, Arizona, Hawaii, Kentucky,
Louisiana, Iowa, West Virginia, Wyoming, & Washington DC.


Thanks again for all your help!

Jon "Bowzer" Bauman Chair, Truth in Music Committee Vocal Group Hall of Fame