The license agreements of major performance rights organisations (PROs) such as ASCAP and BMI only cover what are known in contrast as "small rights", and exclude the usage of compositions within "dramatic" or "dramatico-musical" works, or the use of compositions that originated from a dramatico-musical work.
[3] Musician Jack Vees noted that "it is understandable that a successful composer or publisher would not want to hand over control of negotiating rights if he or she is doing pretty well in that particular arena.
In one sense, this division of labor is simply a decision made by a majority of the members of a given performing rights society, because that’s the way they wanted their particular club to work.
"[1] Vees also argued that allowing PROs to engage in negotiations for use of compositions in dramatic works could encourage illegal price fixing.
Chapter 19 "The Grand Rights Controversy"", Kohn on Music Licensing, 5th edition, pp.