Fight the RIAA & SoundExtortion!!!...

There's been plenty of backlash against the new royalty rates for webcasters, set by the Copyright Royalty Board at the suggestion of SoundExchange, a group spun out from the RIAA to handle royalty collection. The royalty rates themselves were ridiculously high, and would make it untenable for many small webcasters to continue, while taking a huge bite out of bigger players' revenues. Now, four of those bigger companies -- Yahoo, RealNetworks, Pandora and Live365 -- have sent a letter to lawmakers pointing out that not only do they have to pay the inflated royalties, they have to pay SoundExchange more than $1 billion a year in "administrative fees" for collecting them as well.

In an attempt to look like they are compromising, Sound Exchange has made a very short termed deal in which the SoundExchange proposal only extends for 18 months and points out that webcasters would then be forced to "fight all over again" to cover 2009 and 2010. Also, as part of the agreement, webcasters would also have to withdraw their legal motion for a stay on the per channel minimum issue.

THE POINT HERE FOLKS, is that this is NOT about MONEY and about POWER. Being an entity of the RIAA, Sound Exchange wants to see the above mentioned Internet Radio Networks go away, as they are the competition. These Networks bring you all choice and the ability to select something other then what the Major Labels put out to listen to. The RIAA/Sound Exchange knows all too well that if that choice is taken away, then they will be the only show in town.

The sad part of this all is that through lobby money the RIAA has been able to persuade the CRB (Copy Rights Royalty Board) to hand down this ridiculous decision regarding the new royalty rates. Internet Radio's only hope will be that you are all mad enough to contact Congress and say "Enough is enough". We have 7 days before the rates take hold and Big Business wins this battle. Don't believe anything you hear in the next few days from Sound Exchange's John Simson as he is a master of spin and spreads fictitious propaganda.

People PLEASE fight for your rights. Repost this, anywhere and everywhere. Blogs, Bulletins, Websites, etc.... and CALL CONGRESS they need your votes REMEMBER THAT!!!



CONTACT YOUR REPRESENATIVES HERE