[webcast-l] Re: [CMA] Internet radio dealt severe blow as Copyright Board rejects appeal

[CMA-L]

Hi Karl

Karl Hartland wrote:
> Things seem not-so-good for US netcasters all of a sudden.....
> 
> What might this mean for Europe and the UK, in the long run? For the US
> it means non-profit/grassroots net broadcasters being financially
> punishing for being successful/good at what they do...oh yes, that'll be
> providing an alternative to the mainstream maybe?

Nobody can know what this could all mean for webcasters in the UK and
Europe in the long-term though it could be another case of 'when the US
sneezes then we all catch a cold'...

For US webcasters this change might mean that internet radio stations
there feel that they have to circumvent restrictions that they perceive
are too onerous by using non-US based streaming service providers.  And
untraceable peer-to-peer methods of webcasting - like this
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Octoshape - might eventually come to
pre-dominate meaning that the revenue collection agencies could
potentially lose out in the long-run and this would not bode well for
the interests of the artists that they seek to represent.

Internet radio stations should also be looking at subscription models to
generate the income required to purchase expensive music licenses but we
will have to see if the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia
Circuit agrees to hear the appeal by 15th May.

The petition for US citizens here -
http://www3.capwiz.com/saveinternetradio/issues/alert/?alertid=9631541 -
states that the new royalty rates are retroactive to 1st January 2006 so
this change could cause many stations to go down if the music royalty
rates ever come into effect.

Let's keep watching this one.

Regards

Bill