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April 20, 2007

Save Net Radio

I received a troubling note from Tim Westergren, founder of Flea-fav internet gadget, Pandora. I am all for artists being paid royalties for their work - for obvious reasons - but proposed license fees strike me as the workings of an abusive and monopolistic old media hierarchy that sees its audience vanishing onto the internet.

I'm writing today to ask for your help. The survival of Pandora and all of Internet radio is in jeopardy because of a recent decision by the Copyright Royalty Board in Washington, DC to almost triple the licensing fees for Internet radio sites like Pandora. The new royalty rates are irrationally high, more than four times what satellite radio pays and broadcast radio doesn't pay these at all. Left unchanged, these new royalties will kill every Internet radio site, including Pandora.

American Flea-readers might usefully consider the SaveNetRadio petition while Canadians might turn a baleful eye toward Ottawa.

Posted by Ghost of a flea at April 20, 2007 07:14 AM

Comments

My favorite regulation in all of Canadian law is Tariff #7 which imposes the fee for music at roller skating rinks: http://canadagazette.gc.ca/partI/1999/19990529/html/socan-e.html

Sadly, no one thought adding a dime a month to the IP services was the way to go. Now it is focused and might end one of the actual uses of the internet.

Posted by: Alan McLeod [TypeKey Profile Page] at April 20, 2007 08:54 AM

Though, having said that, Tarriff #8 has a lot going for it too:

"...the operator of the premises shall pay for each event at such reception, convention or assembly or for each day on which such fashion show is held, as follows:

Without Dancing $28.75
With Dancing $57.55"

I had no idea there were fashion shows with dancing. You have kept me in the dark, Mr. Flea, as I suspect such things are the key to your Tuesday evenings.

Posted by: Alan McLeod [TypeKey Profile Page] at April 20, 2007 08:55 AM

Sadly, I have never been invited to an evening of fashion show and dancing. Though now I am thinking an evening of steamed-out beauties with Flea-couture might be just the excuse I need. The license fee is no bar to such pursuits...

From a very brief encounter with a consulting firm that deals exclusively with Canada's music copyright process I am confident nobody involved has the interests of the artists, let alone the listening public, at heart. An hour in that office and I still feel dirty two months after the fact.

Posted by: Ghost of a flea [TypeKey Profile Page] at April 20, 2007 09:13 AM