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Information Technology News US court ruling threatens return to dark ages of radio
Information Technology News US court ruling threatens return to dark ages of radio | US court ruling threatens return to dark ages of radio |
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| Written by Stan Beer | |
| Friday, 13 July 2007 | |
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Internet broadcasters are particularly upset with Copyright Royalty Board ruling because they believe it discriminates against Internet radio compared to traditional wireless broadcasters, who don't pay copyright fees on music played. Under the current ruling, Internet broadcasters will pay an annual fee of US$500 per channel plus a fee per song played per listener. The current per song fee of US$0.0008 per listener will rise to US$0.0019 by 2010. Internet broadcasting advocates are up in arms over the ruling for a number of reasons. One is that they feel the fact that the Internet has the most accurate metrics of any medium for measuring consumer participation has led to the imposition of a discriminatory royalty policy against the newest and fastest growing broadcasting medium. However, perhaps the most ironic aspect of the Copyright Royalty Board ruling is the difference between the treatment accorded traditional broadcasters and Internet broadcasters. Record companies lobby radio broadcasters to get their artists' music played - it's their chief product marketing tool. Yet Internet radio, which has a potentially wider reach than wireless broadcasters, has to pay for the privilege of marketing music for artists and their broadcasters. Unless legislation is introduced in Congress to change the discriminatory copyright royalty structure, Internet radio in the US could well be priced out of existence almost overnight. Having exhausted legal avenues, Internet broadcasters intend to continue to take their fight to Congress to have the laws changed.
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