Copyright Royalty Board Senses Folks Aren't Too Happy About New Webcaster Rates

from the oh,-they-didn't-like-that,-huh? dept

Tue, Mar 20th 2007 6:40pm — Mike Masnick

It appears that the uproar and protests following the US Copyright Royalty Board's new webcasting royalty rates has (as many expected) caught the attention of the Copyright Royalty Board, who will now hold hearings about the rates, allowing various parties to submit documents detailing their positions. Many who have gone through this process before have said that this is basically how the whole thing works. The Board comes out with ridiculous rates as requested by the RIAA... lots of folks protest, and the Board comes out with some agreement on lower rates. It's not clear how this is particularly efficient, but you don't expect efficiency from government agencies designated to manage protectionist laws.

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10 Comments

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Erv, 20 Mar 2007 @ 8:18pm

oversight
I'm concerned if anyone on the Copyright Royalty Board is getting kickbacks from the RIAA
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Mark, 20 Mar 2007 @ 8:20pm

Good news
This is good news, especially for webcasters that are potentially streaming copyritghted material from many countries. I started afterhoursdjs.org almost 5 years ago, and to date, we have sourced live performances from 30 countries.

Please tell me how a licensing group will calculate the fees due per listeners per country per performance created per country?!

Typically the station receives 600,000 tune ins a month, but who can arbitrate what if any royalty money goes to the producer?

.
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Nobody Special, 20 Mar 2007 @ 8:34pm

congress goofed
This would be a non-issue if congress had gotten it right. As long as streaming is done like radio, it should be treated as radio. In fact, that is a common source for streaming audio.

When radio began congress got that right. Radio drives music sales. Streaming does the same and should be recognized as such.
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- Andrew, 20 Mar 2007 @ 10:14pm
  
  Re: congress goofed
  Actually, the government did not get it right when it came to radio either, it took numerous legislation moves to finally get to the point where radio stations are free to play whatever songs they want without getting permission from copyright holders.
  
  As with any new technology, there is immediate backlash, then everyone finally comes to their senses and realizes that they can make money off this new technology.
  
  We are hoping to capitalize on this 'realization'...
  
  grooveshark.com
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Anonymous Coward, 20 Mar 2007 @ 11:04pm

non
binding
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MadJo (profile), 21 Mar 2007 @ 2:29am

It's not meant to be efficient
it's meant to grab as much money as they can get their grubby little hands on.

If no-one would have protested, they would've made the jackpot.

I don't think that this was a fluke, it was calculated.
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Thomason, 21 Mar 2007 @ 7:32am

Hearings can be good.
In so many places, the recent ruling notes a lack of evidence on key points. Due to the fact that few were willing to participate in the process, many key facts went unaddressed, or unrebutted. Hopefully, hearings will give everyone an opportunity to fill in these blanks in the record.
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Jake, 30 Mar 2007 @ 9:03am

I also was pretty angry about this. I don't use internet radio too much, but don't think they should be driven out of business.

I read a pretty interesting article about this whole mess on Media 3.0. Shelly Palmer thinks this will only drive "internet radio" somewhat underground. Really, all you need is the playlist to know what they're playing. Combine that with RSS links to songs, and you've got royalty-free "internet radio."

Really, this setup seems more "internet" than the old internet radio:
http://advancedmediacommittee.typepad.com/emmyadvancedmedia/2007/03/what_is_interne.html

- Jake
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Ana, 21 May 2007 @ 7:43pm

American webcasters should move their radios to foreign servers, preferrably to a country without this culture of music stubbornness.
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Elitest Pig Dog, 3 Jul 2007 @ 9:34am

U SLEEP WE LIVE TO ENSLAVE YOU
Elitest Pig Dog - Look the people are actually enjoying themselves learning, enjoying music, acting free and turning against the slave pen we’ve made for them.

Elitest Pig Dog 2 - Well then well just manipulate the laws again to show them there our slaves once again.

Elitest Pig Dog - Good Idea, lets start with the music we own that right?

Elitest Pig Dog 2 - Oh, yeah all of it and we can only let them have the brain washing stuff for free. Nothing like 12 year old girls singing britney spears.

Elitest Pig Dog - Oh I just love that we’ll restructure it to play all day on the stations we take over.

Elitest Pig Dog 2 - This should make it easier then to go after talk radio right? and videos on google like money masters? Cause we cant have the truth told to the slaves, i mean when i want a sandwich I don’t wanna have to wait or make it myself you know what I’m saying.

Elitest Pig Dog - I know just where your coming from, I had to wait 2 min. once it was hell, I think my stomach actually growled. Oh yeah and it’s all just domino’s we get this the rest will fall, there stupid and cant stand up for anything. We’ll just start another american idol up so they will watch that and we’ll move in.

Elitest Pig Dog - so then its agreed music first.

Elitest Pig Dog 2 - Aye, to the law system we created to further enslave!

Elitest Pig Dog - Tally HO! To the racketeering Mobile!
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