Asociación de Compositores y Editores de la Música Latinoamericana
This institution was created to defend the rights of the Latin composer in the United States and the world, and it is as such that in 1985, through an appeal presented before the highest federal court of this country, against a decision of the Copyright Royalty Tribunal against the ASCAP., BMI and SESAC, is successful, and since t
hen ACEMLA operates as the fourth society, or a Performance Rights Society (PRO), in the United States. ACEMLA controls and licenses the non-exclusive musical performance rights of “Latin American Music Co. Inc.” (LAMCO) and other Latin American music publishers, as well as those of their affiliated authors, writers and musical composers. This institution was originally founded in 1953 under the name of Sociedad Puertorriqueña de Autores, Compositores y Editores de Música, (SPACEM) by a group of composers and writers of Puerto Rican and Latin American music from Puerto Rico. It was created to defend the rights of all Latin American music in the United States and the world and to collect royalties due for its affiliated members. ACEMLA of Puerto Rico is the only one that has fought for the Puerto Rican and Latin American composer, today, it is considered by many as the Puerto Rican Society. As our members on the island say: "ACEMLA of Puerto Rico is Our Society." ACEMLA will always fight for the ideals that it was created, being the first option for the Latin composer who wants to be heard and cared for as he deserves and not as another code, as it is in other societies.
