Ascap Singing New Tune

Your children won’t have to take extra money to summer camp to pay a fee every time they sing a copyright song around the campfire.

The Martinsville-based American Camping Association and ASCAP - the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers - have reached an agreement setting nominal fees for the right to use the music.

Under the agreement reached Monday, the association will pay ASCAP $1 a year per campground for the next five years.

ASCAP caused a stir last year when it notified about 6,000 camps that they must pay fees for 4 million copyright tunes. ASCAP officials said later they intended to target only for-profit camps.