The RIAA is behind a new royalty scheme aimed at killing Internet radio. The Copyright Royalty Board approved new rates proposed by SoundExchange. SoundExchange is the RIAA’s royalty collection agency.
The new royalty rates involve performance fees for recorded music. A performance is any instance of a song being played back or streamed to a single user. This means the bill to the radio station goes up with more listeners. 100 listeners will cost 100X the performance fee. This is sure to kill many of our favorite Internet radio stations like Chronix Radio.
SoundExchange’s scheme will have Internet radio providers not only closing up shop because they can’t afford the rates, many will be forced into bankruptcy. The fee is retro-active to 2006. So, Internet radio stations that have been paying ‘old’ royalty fees will be forced to come up with money they simply don’t have.
“I don’t listen to Internet Radio – so who cares?”
Wrong my apathetic friend. The new Internet Radio Royalty is blatant abuse of America’s justice system by the RIAA that will cost tax payers money!
How many of your tax dollars will be spent in coming years as the RIAA tracks down and sues dead-beat Internet radio stations who have already closed its servers. How many individuals and small independent firms will be forced to file Chapter 11, frivolously soaking up more US Justice system’s resources. All this waste of American tax payer dollars and court resources for the sake of the RIAA’s vendetta against a business in which it can no longer compete.
Sadly, this is no future scenario. The CRB is the US government and has already approved the devastating rates. It’s now up to congress to intervene. This is where YOU come in, dear reader. Help Stop the RIAA and push for congress to overturn the CRB’s ruling.
Help fight the RIAA!
Regardless of how you feel about independent music or Internet Radio as an American it’s up to you to demand responsible government. The CRB or any legislative body representing the US Justice System should never be for sale to a company with the deepest pockets.