[Ecommerce] Webcasters Will Go Silent To Protest Royalty Plan

[Manon Ress]

04-29-2002 National Journal's Technology Daily

Intellectual Property: Webcasters Will Go Silent To Protest Royalty Plan

Hundreds of Internet radio stations will protest a proposed royalty
system
for webcasting by going silent beginning Wednesday, reports USA Today.
Following Congress' move last week urging the Copyright Office not to
inflict costly royalty regimes that could harm the webcasting industry,
online radio broadcasters will become totally silent or issue non-stop
public service announcements on the issue. The office convened a panel
to
set royalty rates that webcasters would pay for music they broadcast via
the Internet. The office has until May 21 to accept or reject the
February
proposal of its arbitration panel. That fee would be paid per song, per
listener, and webcasters argue that the price would be too prohibitive.
But recording companies argue that anything less also is unfair.

 



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Manon Anne Ress
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