UPDATED 9/19
The RIAA strikes again with unfair [update: retroactive-1/1/06]fee structures for internet radio stations that could put them out of business in one shot [edit: by May July 15th].
And just yesterday, the (3 man panel) CRB struck down the motion to hear arguments on the fees.
Please get out there and help all our friends at the amazing somafm, wfmu, kcrw, crunchy-greeny NPR and many, many others.
Write your representatives and pass on the word that the fee structure allowed to record companies is unfair and unjust.
Off the cuff, I can think of several reasons why.
-These include: It doesn’t compensate net radio for their: infrastructure, bandwidth, storage space, employees, operating costs and of course, the >>Free Advertising<< internet radio gives out by its very nature to recording artists of all types, most specifically lesser-known, lower-selling acts that are still fantastic.
-It also doesn’t take into account Sliding-Scales or the amount of revenue generated by the individual webcaster; high school, college, charity, non-profit, not-for-profit, or teeny-tiny profit. The CRB is granting the RIAA/Record Companies basically Monopoly/Oligopoly pricing power, and some of the rates I’ve heard blow right past Reasonable/Fair and keep going… -BEYOND- Usury (the only word that comes to mind [edit:besides [edit:gang] rape]).
***-Note also that the rate hike imposed on internet radio is NOT being levied on traditional, where the amount of listeners is theoretically the entire population within range of reception.
My friends, you are watching [edit: another chapter of] the Record Industry in the process of Strangling the Goose that Laid the Golden Egg.
…-Meanwhile, if you want to listen to Only Christina Aguilera on the only radio station left: Z100, then of course you could do nothing. Just like the Taco Bell Restaurant Monopoly in “Demolition Man”.
(I don’t know about you, but I have a problem with companies that try to charge a station $1 Million per year when it pulls in a grand total of $15k/yr and gives out free advertising.)
…Ultimately, it looks like somehow this issue must go past a few well-greased washington porkies and probably to the Supreme Court. In any case…
FIGHT TEH POWAZZ!1!
UPDATE 4/26: Boing Boing Chimes In; Go Boingers!!!
UPDATE 4/27: Inslee and Manzullo introduce Bill; at least someone’s Congressmen are listening! -***However, Rates should be a % of Earnings, not Revs; ‘caster costs should matter.
UPDATE 4/29: It sounds impossible, but according to Daily Kos, (via Gizmodo) SoundExchange is empowered to Collect net radio Royalties on behalf of ALL artists, even non-members!???!?!
->Therefore, I can set up a membership corporation that collects Dell’s Accounts Receivable, (even though Dell is not a member) if I get 3 guys in Washington to approve it???
-Er, I thought >actual< Piracy went out with Blackbeard? -Patently illegal? -Unconstitutional? -Stalinist? ...Isn't the IRS (an actual government body) the only entity empowered to garnish one's earnings??? (ftw?) UPDATE 5/11: Senators Wyden and Brownback Introduce Bill Matching Congress’
UPDATE 6/26: RocketBoom Joins In With Day of Silence! Go Boomers!
UPDATE 7/13: Temporary Stay of Execution
UPDATE 9/19: SaveNetRadio Calls Bullshit on SoundExchange/CRB “Offer” -Technicalities Aplenty.
Photo Credits:
“fist”, by Fabrizio Turco, zirak.it
Demolition Man movie poster & Lenina Huxley Screen Shot, imdb-demolition man
Links:
Pandora Founder’s Letter & Petition
SaveInternetRadio SaveTheStreams EFF-Feinstein DRM Streams Only
SomaFM’s Rusty Hodge Gizmodo-Net Radio Crushed Gizmodo-Pandora CoFounder Gizmodo-NPR Sez F-U Gizmodo-Yet Another Reason Ars Technica-CRB Rejection
More Copyright Idiot Shenanigans:
BoingBoing-Copyright Head BoingBoing-Copyright Treaty
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