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----Original Message----
From: "Christopher Stewart" <cstewart139@xxxxxxxxx>
To: <ARSCLIST@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: arsclist Important Issue for all Arsckist members - Saving Internet Online Radio [snip]
>What can Internet radio fans do? Call their senators and
Congress
>people, for one thing. For another, visit the Save Internet Radio site at >www.saveinternetradio.org for more suggestions and background >information on the digital copyright act. My personal Soap Box take on the Internet radio royalty.
Because of the mega media mergers and current broadcasting payola (one now
has to pay to get played, similar to companies vying for space on the grocery
store shelves) Only five companies control more than 60% of the music market in
the top 100 markets (figures from 1997.) This control has increased
exponentially under President Bush and the current FCC...and is creating a
dis-incentive to create (or at least do it under the current process; this
extends to authors as well as composers.)
One might want to read Lawrence Lessig's The Future of Ideas, to get an
idea of what is really going on. It's not just about royalty
payments. It's about the controller's, not the creators, writing the
rules.
I don't mean to suggest Internet Radio shouldn't pay royalties, but the
current recommendation to the copyright office is excessive and certainly
appears to be an effort to control Internet Radio as well by the major players
only. I would have to say that what is happening, suggested in
Lessig's book, is to place a new retroactive tax on small businesses by big
business in order to shut down ANY competition.
Paul T. Jackson - Trescott Research
Information & Library Development trescott@xxxxxxxxx http://www.bookbay.com/PioneersInBrass.htm |