Pandora and the Attack on Culture by risa
I got the call to action below from Pandora today – a cool web radio service that’s been infuriatingly tangled up and now quite choked by copyright decisions from Washington that are graspy and short sighted and patently unfair. They’re treating the internet like it’s property they own, instead of like a public communication space, and that’s so tacky… sigh… America. Seriously.
If Pandora and other smart internet radio providers had their potential unleashed instead of squashed the global music industry could experience a boom as customers FINALLY begin to access the immeasurably vast wells of talent that are really out there. On the other hand, if the legitimate businesses trying to support artists are pushed out of existence by disturbingly undemocratic legislation, then the internet will face a longer term and more serious problem, another swelling in the ranks of those ancient irritable masses of the dispossessed. Bad news bears when those guys get pissed off, remember? … Can’t we do something fair and sustainable instead?
Hi, it’s Tim from Pandora,
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.
In response to these new and unfair fees, we have formed the SaveNetRadio Coalition, a group that includes listeners, artists, labels and webcasters. I hope that you will consider joining us.
Please sign our petition urging your Congressional representative to act to save Internet radio:
Please feel free to forward this link/email to your friends – the more petitioners we can get, the better.
Understand that we are fully supportive of paying royalties to the artists whose music we play, and have done so since our inception. As a former touring musician myself, I’m no stranger to the challenges facing working musicians. The issue we have with the recent ruling is that it puts the cost of streaming far out of the range of ANY webcaster’s business potential.
I hope you’ll take just a few minutes to sign our petition – it WILL make a difference. As a young industry, we do not have the lobbying power of the RIAA. You, our listeners, are by far our biggest and most influential allies.
As always, and now more than ever, thank you for your support.
I added some of the links and boldy action, but aside from that, this is the plea for help exactly as Tim sent it, please sign it if you see fit…
August 7th, 2007 at 8:08 am
Is this place active anymore? Well this post is posted on April and till now there is no other update so just curious to know what’s going on here…
Regards,
Dav.
August 11th, 2007 at 10:43 am
hey there – i guess open journal has been in a holding pattern of late, as i’ve been focused on indyish and the rest of the team who were contributing to it are mid Phd now. we’d like to build up a whole new team for Open bc we still this it’s a sweet spot and a cool idea. if anyone who reads this is interested get in touch!! thanks for your interest Dav. risa at indyish.com
August 11th, 2007 at 10:50 am
oh yeah, also,
a friend read this post and then (gotta love him) email his congress people about it. here’s a replay:
Thank you for contacting me about HR 2060,
> the Internet Radio Equality Act.
>
> This bill would overturn the recent ruling
> requiring webcasters to pay a flat rate per
> song streamed rather than the traditional
> percentage of their revenue. The Copyright
> Royalty Board recently raised rates on
> Internet webcasters, making it difficult for
> both internet broadcasters and non-
> commercial groups like NPR to provide low-
> cost, easily accessible content to the
> public.
>
> The constantly evolving nature of the
> internet requires a delicate touch when it
> comes to regulation. As certain business
> models are unique to the medium and unlike
> anything we’ve ever seen before, Congress
> and the free-market must work to ensure
> owners of intellectual property are properly
> compensated without unnecessarily inhibiting
> access to content and information.
>
> I appreciate hearing your views on this
> matter, and will continue to monitor the
> debate as Congress works to find a mutually
> beneficial solution.
>
>
> Cordially,
>
>
>
>
> TOM LANTOS
> Member of Congress