If you actively listen to streaming music online, you might recall hearing audio PSA’s about Saving Net Radio. Internet radio is on its way of being axed thanks to the Copyright Royalty Board. We all need to stand up and fight for the right to listen to independent online radio. Luckily, there is a glimpse of hope.
In a nutshell, the Copyright Royalty Board raised royalty fees [pdf] that an online radio station must pay to be permitted to rebroadcast copyrighted material. The staggering raise on the fees will put all internet radio out. This is not a solution to piracy, it does not compensate the artists, it accomplishes nothing! Further, when thousands of users and internet broadcasters appealed, they were denied a hearing. It only exemplifies the corruption in decisions like this.
One has to really anticipate how people will react to this, you know the average person. What has historically happened, when a method to disrupt someone’s ability to enjoy something online, they will just go for it overseas. This has happened with KaZaA when their software was deemed illegal on US territory. This also happened with The Pirate Bay, when they were raided (with a country who enforces copyright infringement). They’re about to be back up standing stronger than ever.
I’ll say it again — Silencing Internet broadcasters does not and will not cease copyright infringement.
For every step they make to halt downloading of music or video, I’ll download three. If you are ‘leet, then you know that sound similar to Maddox and his approach to vegetarians. This isn’t about compensating the artists, is the fact that people are relying on our government to regulate the Internet. This is only just the tip of the iceberg, I encourage anyone who values their right to privacy online to question authority on this one.
Luckily, there is a bill (H.R. 2060, “Internet Radio Equality Act”) that will nullify this. The only thing though, you need to get your congressman to help sponsor it. Go to SaveNetRadio.org and follow the steps. It’s easy, and it may make the difference if we hear silence on May 15th.
[tags]Radio, Music, Internet, SaveNetRadio, Equality, Copyright, CRB, Piracy, Users, Shoutcast[/tags]
Ah, the good old days- when copyright enforcement was lax and Maddox was funny.
I think it’s important to draw the distinction between arguable fair use such as streaming internet radio and outright infringement, such as teenage torrent users trafficking terabytes of Will Ferrell movies and Fall Out Boy albums. The RIAA/MPAA *wants* those two connected in the mind of the public to de-legitimize the internet radio stations (guilt by association). What’s needed is to show the viability of non-infringing distributed business models (e.g. legal download services serving non-DRM’ed music, non-RIAA affiliated independent music, etc). I’m as big a critic of the RIAA/MPAA as the next guy and certainly won’t get on the “I’ve never downloaded” high horse- because I have- but saying “every time they try to enforce copyright law I’ll break it more often” is giving them what they want.
It’s like speeding faster every time they lower the speed limit- ironic yes, gratifying maybe; but it only lets the authority say “I told you so” as they justify more restrictions. I say *don’t* give them what they want- don’t live up to the stereotype of the filesharing freeloader; take your money to legal services, support non RIAA artists, and sign petitions. Hell, write your congresscritter- doesn’t Slashdot have like 3×10e9 hourly visitors or something? Imagine getting that kind of unified front to a politician- they would recognize that for the huge voting bloc that it is. They even support illegal immigration these days in the hopes that the 12mil illegals will vote for them some day. Imagine one of their staffers saying “uh sir, 65mil internet users want minor changes to obscure copyright law- if we can swing it they’re ours.”
If you can get enough people to present the temptation to pander inherent in all politicians, maybe you can overcome the financial temptations that RIAA/MPAA entice them with.
Junkyard Willie
May 2nd, 2007
Ah what the hell, I couldn’t resist:
09-F9-11-02-9D-74-E3-5B-D8-41-56-C5-63-56-88-C0
Junkyard Willie
May 2nd, 2007
[...] Pandora and the impact of Copyright Royalty Board’s royalty rate increase. I predict that the Internet Radio Equality Act will die in the House. There is just too large of a gap between politicians and Internet users. [...]
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