Bop City

Thu, 15 Mar 2007 10:10:33 -0500

The premise for the royalty decision is this statement from the CRB: "It must be emphasized that, in reaching a determination, the Copyright Royalty Judges cannot guarantee a profitable business to every market entrant. Indeed, the normal free market processes typically weed out those entities that have poor business models or are inefficient. To allow inefficient market participants to continue to use as much music as they want and for as long a time period as they want without compensating copyright owners on the same basis as more efficient market participants trivializes the property rights of copyright owners. Furthermore, it would involve the Copyright Royalty Judges in making a policy decision rather than applying the willing buyer/willing seller standard of the Copyright Act." Before this CRB atrocity, because of the freedom and the technology the internet offers, music lovers could legally afford to have their own internet radio stations and broadcast to over 50 million listeners every week. Now a group of three individuals in concert with a greedy entity, Sound Exchange have decided that these music lovers are no longer allowed to participate in what the CRB has deemed to be a dog-eat-dog, may only the strong survive, cut-throat business. In my opinion, this is an infringement on freedom of expression and also puts the future development of new internet techonolgies into the hands of big business. The internet has given opportunity to individuals to create and improve their quality of life at a low cost with few impediments. This freedom and opportunity are in the process of being taken away. This is a part of a power-play to take the internet into the realm of big business. Just the fact that "net-neutrality" even has to be discussed shows what we are up against in the very near future. This decision by the CRB must be attacked and exposed for what it is. So far the press has done a great job covering this mess thanks to all of the dynamic efforts of webcasters. Sound Exchange is gearing up for a big, big fight by hiring new council. I don't think a long term solution can be won in the courts. It's going to take congressional action for this climate to change. Write your Congresspeople, please. Bop City bopcity.blogspot.com

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