[pepin]

Recently, the Copyright Royalty Board issued a new ruling about how internet broadcasters must pay for the music they broadcast. Many online broadcasters testified or submitted opinions/materials on the subject, which the CRB largely ignored. The ruling raises rates to astronomical proportions, and nearly every existing internet radio station will fold because they cannot afford these new rates. Not only are the new rates (much) higher, but they actually INCREASE over the next decade to even more insane levels. The worst of it is the change is retroactive; the moment this ruling goes into effect, suddenly every internet radio broadcaster will owe back royalties all the way back to January 1, 2006. You might be thinking "well, just make arrangements with the individual copyright holders or just play unlicensed music." Damn near impossible -- chasing down individual copyright holders for every piece of music you play is a logistical nightmare, and there honestly isn't that much unlicensed music out there. Read more details at http://www.di.fm/blog/rea... and follow the link there to ask your congressman/woman to do something about this. If internet radio really does die, we're stuck with the alternatives the industry doesn't quite want us to fall back on -- piracy, bootlegging, "sharing," and truly free content like that at the Creative Commons (http://www.creativecommons.org/) and similar organizations. What do you think, folks? Is there chance we can stop this before it kills internet radio, or is an amazing piece of our modern world about to be swept into the history books?

[mikel]

How interesting.. not! I hope nothing bad will come out of this. I listen to internet radio more often than the "traditional" way via my receiver. I hope something will just be worked out. Can't stand those music companies. They are already bloated with money, yet they still insist on thinking of new ways to make life difficult for others.

[gilbride7]

Legal Internet Radio within the United States is probably doomed. However, radio streams outside the United States and Illegal Internet Radio or Pirate Radio will continue to thrive. I don't know how this measure will effect podcasts between buds. You saw how the Napster put an end to file sharing...LOL!The Internet is always about 10 years ahead of the law and law enforcement. It's driving them absolutely nuts. Do a Google on Pirate Internet Radio or Outlaw Radio. You'll see what I'm talking about.

[comyn]

You're right -- that's actually pretty encouraging, and it'd totally escaped me that the remainder of the world is going to cheerfully laugh at the United States when it comes calling for "royalties" and we're still going to hear good tunes. They just won't be broadcast from here. *Sigh*. To quote Mayor Quimby: "Again? Awwww, this stupid country!"