Copyright Royalty Board Puts Internet Radio on Death Watch

[democraticinsurgent]

By David DeJean,
01:40 PM ET, Apr 17, 2007


The Copyright Royalty Board has quickly and completely affirmed its own decision on performance royalties, set in accordance with recording-industry wishes, that will be assessed against Internet music-streaming and radio-station sites. Because the rates, which were more than a year overdue, were much higher than the Internet radio industry expected, and retroactive for 2006, one possible result is that many small Internet radio operators will cease operations immediately and wait to see if Congress or the courts will provide relief.

The board in March adopted the recommendations of the recording industry, and the action created a storm of protest from broadcasters and the many small businesses that had been created to serve niche markets via the Web. The rate-setting decision more than doubled the rates for 2006, and mandates further major increases in 2007 and 2008.

The board invited requests for a rehearing, and then speedily ignored them, deciding yesterday that it had been right all along.

Exactly why the recording industry wants to radically restrict Internet radio eludes me. I wrote just earlier this week, in a review of music-discovery Web sites, that these services are just beginning to offer the music industry a real alternative to the declining broadcast radio business in terms of exposing listeners to the record companies' products. It looks like the music industry remains unable to overcome its inability to understand and deal effectively with technology.

http://www.informationweek.com/blog/main/archives/2007/04/copyright_royal.html

[MADem]

1. Because a lot of those sites are not for profit, and they don't get caught up in the royalty game

because they are in essence a charity. They're also, some of 'em, not over-the-airwaves, and they're cutting into those sites.

They aren't making a dime off the artist and they're commercial free. There's no payday for the baaastids.

[tech3149]

2. The "business" is doing it's best to cut its own throat

For every profitable (from the corporate viewpoint) artist that is represented by a company there are probably 100 that are just as good that don't have commercial promotion. There are probably more than that who can't be pidgeon-holed by the corporate framework that would be even more popular. Let the old music industry die the death of the dinosaurs and promote the independant artists with bottom-up support.