Slashdot Mirror
EU-wide Music Licensing Policies Published
www-xenu-dot-net writes "To stimulate the online music business in Europe,
EU Commissioner Charlie McCreevy is recommending the elimination of territorial restrictions on the licensing and copyright enforcement of online music. Until now, so called licensing collection societies have enjoyed monopolies within their countries. (For online sales, the collecting societies typically charge 12 percent of the retail price today, compared to 9 percent on CDs.) EU Socialist Group leader Martin Schulz has called Mr McCreevy a "loose cannon whose arrogant opinions have provoked anti-EU feeling across Europe." That impression might not change with the new recommendation, as collecting societies in smaller European countries fear that they will lose out to larger rivals, potentially restricting the development of new music."
I won't take the obvious route here and say "w00t! fr33 p1r4cY 4 411!"
This is good policy, because if the EU is to be taken seriously as a single bloc trading partner, then it must present a standardized set of laws and regulations so that it isn't just a loosely bound bunch of states. By unifying the law under a single EU regulating entity, they effectively present themselves as one country.
While this may hurt certain groups within the borders of the EU, the EU was never supposed to be about individual states or particular companies. It was meant to unify Europe into a large trading bloc that would rival the U.S. in trading and negotiating power.
This is exactly what the EU should be doing.
Jesus saved me from my past. He can save you as well.
"loose cannon whose arrogant opinions have provoked anti-EU feeling across Europe."
Is the rhetoric usually this colourful in Europe, or is the Socialist just a hipocritical loose cannon?
Anonymous Coward
Don't worry, there's no way McCreevy is going to be re-elected...
(Which, technically, is true)
Athletic Scholarships to universities make as much sense as academic scholarships to sports teams.
This really must be the summum in desriptive slashdot news. Three factoids that do not resemble to be related to each other...
Is this mister whatshisname a loose cannon because he wants to stimulate online music sales? how does that realte to the markup on the retailprice for online music?
Or has is this guy being paid by the collection societies to say such things? Are they desparate not to loose their monopoly?
This space is intentionally staring blankly at you
> collecting societies in smaller European countries fear
> that they will lose out to larger rivals, potentially
> restricting the development of new music
LOL... "new music" isn't dependent on collection societies. People driven by the desire to make art create 'new music'. Check out Jamendo or the podsafe stuff or Staccato for tons of great stuff outside the 'business'.
as collecting societies in smaller European countries fear that they will lose out to larger rivals, potentially restricting the development of new music.
Doesn't parse. For all I know, the amount of collected money that goes to new music, i.e. startup bands, young groups, etc. is so small that for all practical purposes you can treat it as being zero.
On the other hand, the amount that stays with the collecting societies to pay for "expanses" and "overhead" is considerable.
Sounds like someone seing his protection racket, uh, sorry, "business model" being washed away, nothing else.
Assorted stuff I do sometimes: Lemuria.org
Right, let's put forward a proposal to abolish the direct appointment of unelected commissioners, increase the importance of the Parliament, and have a directly elected president (as opposed to the joke that the presidency is now, rotating from country to country). Democratise the EU, give the people their say.
Result: popular outcry. Superstate. Federalists. Treason, they're selling out our country! Churchill spinning in grave! Where Hitler Failed They're Succeeding Without A Shot Fired!
The EU is never going to get anywhere this way. At least one country is always going to throw a tantrum if it doesn't get its way, and it'll usually be the same one country. De Gaulle was right from the beginning; for the sake of the union, throw us out, NOW.
Real Daleks don't climb stairs - they level the building.
This story is proof that the Slashdot editors don't even bother to read the links of the stories they post.
The linked articles have nothing to do with the subject of the post.
Come on Slashdot editors, wake up!
From TFA:
"collecting societies in smaller European countries fear that they will lose out to larger rivals, potentially restricting the development of new music"
That's like KFC claiming that they need protection from McDonalds or it might "potentially restrict the development of new food"
foo mane padme hum
AFAIK, this is already the case. I was under the impression that for the past couple of years the likes of record companies have been able to use collection societies from other EU member states. The whole point was to eliminate the monopolies that organisations like the MCPS/PRS have, and they were getting worried about losing business; I seem to remember one of the majors were going to defect to SABAM (Belgium).
Weaseling out of things is important to learn. It's what separates us from the animals... except the weasel."
I think the EU is headed towards a single state. Whilst that will probably not happen in my lifetime, it is surely a logical move and I personally believe Europe will be better off for it.
In the meantime, the differences between member states on scores of issues and the frequency of changing (and changing back!) its rules provides EU citizens with a chaotic system within which we try to conduct our business. I've lived in 3 EU countries and the business/political framework doesn't seem to be making it any easier to work or live across its internal borders. (Quite the contrary!)
Whilst I recognize local identity, history and culture to be of great importance, I have little respect for blind nationalism.
As far as I'm concerned, the sooner people and their elective representatives are happy to recognise that a single state is a_good_idea_, the better. Maybe then, European law can be written for the benefit of Europe rather than trying to benefit individual member states at the expense of others.
You must be new here! Welcome to ... umm ... ok, old joke.
But it is possible to love your native country while recognizing its flaws, and even try to help fix those flaws after you feel you have to leave.