It looks like at this point the increased royalties rates for songs on the web is a done deal, with all appeals by webcasters (and led by NPR and Yahoo!) having been shot down. The implications are grim as this could all but shut down countless sites who will not be able to afford the hiked prices.
Obviously the Copyright Royalty Board have a clear misunderstanding of web radio and music on the internet, but since the RIAA is already cracking down on piracy, file sharing and not paying artists their due, why not make it even harder to find quality music?
I’m not sure how much these online petitions ever really help, but for those looking to show support for internet radio make sure you check out savenetradio.org. For more details go to Wired’s Listening Post. What do you think? Let us know here or at netradio@hellocomein.com
I’m glad you put this up. This and other issues need as much recognition as possible. The RIAA and Co.’s attempts at enacting “anti-piracy” measures are often largely unpublicized, as they know it is easy to pass bills when there is no public outrage and the right pockets are being stuffed. SaveNetRadio.org claims over a million people have joined in the effort to notify our representatives and had this to say in a recent newsletter:
“…the traffic to the SaveNetRadio.org site in just the week since the campaign was officially launched has exceeded all expectations and drawn the attention of a national audience. So many people want to learn more about the SaveNetRadio campaign that it’s placed a significant strain on the site’s capacity. First and foremost, we apologize for any inconvenience this has caused.”
They go on to say that the glitches have been fixed. Regardless of if this is just a propaganda ploy by SaveNetRadio.org, it is encouraging so many have signed on. We’ll see if our Senators and Representatives pay attention!