National Restaurant Association Director of Commerce and Entrepreneurship, Laura Chadwick, issued the following statement regarding the Department of Justice’s decision to uphold protections against anti-competitive music licensing practices:

“As America’s restaurants continue to be the gathering place for millions of Americans each day, food and entertainment go hand in hand. Music plays a pivotal role in creating a welcoming environment for diners, but the process of music licensing continues to be a challenge for our membership. We are pleased that the U.S. Department of Justice will keep the BMI and ASCAP consent decrees unchanged.

“We are also pleased that the Department of Justice has reaffirmed the concept of 100 percent or blanket licensing. Our members have been and continue to be sold blanket licenses, allowing them to play and stream any and all music within a performance rights organization’s repertoire. Any change to this long-held practice would have created even more complexity for our members when it comes to music licensing.”