Take action! against recent copyright ruling

[PeterG]

Just saw this posted today:

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/04...ct_introduced/

A bill introduced in Congress today could nullify the new rates set by the Copyright Royalty Board (CRB) which advocates say would put webcasters out of business.
Rep. Jay inslee (D-WA) and Rep. Don Manzullo (R-IL) have headed the "Internet Radio Equality Act," which aims to stop the controversial March 2 decision which puts royalty of a .08 cent per song per listener, retroactively from 2006 to 2010 on internet radio.

Advocates have dreaded the CRB ruling, which they say could raise rates between 300 to 1200 per cent for webcasters. Earlier this month, the CRB threw out an appeal by commercial webcasters, National Public Radio and others to review the new rates and postpone a May 15 deadline for the introduction of the royalty schedule.
If passed, today's bill would set new rates at 7.5 per cent of the webcaster's revenue— the same rate paid by satellite radio. Alternatively, webcasters could decide to pay 33 cents per hour of sound recordings transmitted to a single user.
"The illogical and unrealistic royalty rates set by the CRB have placed the future of an entire industry in jeopardy," said Jake Ward of the SaveNetRadio coalition. "This bill is a critical step to preserve this vibrant and growing medium, and to develop a truly level playing field where webcasters can compete with satellite radio."
The bill would also reset royalty rules for non-profit radio such as NPR. Public radio would be required present a report to Congress on how it should determine rates for their internet streaming media. ®


This could be good news.

Keep the pressure on you senators to support this bill.


PeterG

[jtmckinley]

Originally Posted by PeterG

Just saw this posted today:

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/04...ct_introduced/

A bill introduced in Congress today could nullify the new rates set by the Copyright Royalty Board (CRB) which advocates say would put webcasters out of business.
Rep. Jay inslee (D-WA) and Rep. Don Manzullo (R-IL) have headed the "Internet Radio Equality Act," which aims to stop the controversial March 2 decision which puts royalty of a .08 cent per song per listener, retroactively from 2006 to 2010 on internet radio.

*snip*

PeterG

I have written my rep. Joe Knollenberg and asked him to support this bill, fingers crossed...

[Ted]

Originally Posted by PeterG

Just saw this posted today:

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/04...ct_introduced/

A bill introduced in Congress today could nullify the new rates set by the Copyright Royalty Board (CRB) which advocates say would put webcasters out of business.
Rep. Jay inslee (D-WA) and Rep. Don Manzullo (R-IL) have headed the "Internet Radio Equality Act," which aims to stop the controversial March 2 decision which puts royalty of a .08 cent per song per listener, retroactively from 2006 to 2010 on internet radio.

Advocates have dreaded the CRB ruling, which they say could raise rates between 300 to 1200 per cent for webcasters. Earlier this month, the CRB threw out an appeal by commercial webcasters, National Public Radio and others to review the new rates and postpone a May 15 deadline for the introduction of the royalty schedule.
If passed, today's bill would set new rates at 7.5 per cent of the webcaster's revenue— the same rate paid by satellite radio. Alternatively, webcasters could decide to pay 33 cents per hour of sound recordings transmitted to a single user.
"The illogical and unrealistic royalty rates set by the CRB have placed the future of an entire industry in jeopardy," said Jake Ward of the SaveNetRadio coalition. "This bill is a critical step to preserve this vibrant and growing medium, and to develop a truly level playing field where webcasters can compete with satellite radio."
The bill would also reset royalty rules for non-profit radio such as NPR. Public radio would be required present a report to Congress on how it should determine rates for their internet streaming media. ®


This could be good news.

Keep the pressure on you senators to support this bill.


PeterG

PeterG - THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU.... I appreciate ANY good news.

I have written my rep - Michael McCaul and even written my two senators -to encourage them to support the bill so that it might get through the house and have easy sailing in the Senate!!

Like Jtm - I am keeping my fingers crossed!!

Ted

[jtmckinley]

First the good news, a Senate companion bill to the House bill HR 2060 PeterG posted about previously now exists:

http://blog.wired.com/music/2007/05/...rs_introd.html

Now the bad news, a shameless propaganda piece in Business Week by the executive director of SoundExchange (the comments are more enlightening than the article IMHO). I guess John Simson is entiled to share his view, but Business Week should have given equal space to the other side of the argument, or at least done a little investigative reporting on the claims being made.

http://www.businessweek.com/technolo...x _technology