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RIAA Wants Artist Royalties Lowered
laughingcoyote writes "The RIAA has asked the panel of federal government Copyright Royalty Judges to lower royalties paid to publishers and songwriters. They're specifically after digital recordings, and uses like cell phone ringtones. They say that the rates (which were placed in 1981) don't apply the same way to new technologies."
From the article: "According to The Hollywood Reporter, the RIAA maintains that in the modern period when piracy began devastating the record industry profits to publishers from sales of ringtones and other 'innovative services' grew dramatically. Record industry executives believe this to be cause to advocate reducing the royalties paid to the artists who wrote the original music."
Even a 10 year old running a lemonade stand could see that this logic doesn't have a hole, because it is a hole.
So, we officially need to find a replacement word for the first A in RIAA, because it doesn't standa for Artists anymore. I suggest something like this:
If this doesn't get the artists' attention, nothing will. I wonder what Lars thinks about it. He managed to sue Napster out of any meaningful existence, maybe he can be of use here. It's not like Metallica is doing much of anything now anyway.
Finally, there is something I agree with the RIAA on (assuming their intentions are to reduce costs to the consumer). Publishers, and to a certain extent artists (mainstream) tend to over charge for their IP which partially results in higher CD costs and this results in extensive piracy. Not only that, the over inflated royalties are charged to movie companies developing their soundtracks which pass on those extra costs to the consumer resulting in over priced movie tickets/rentals/dvds which further drives piracy.
Piracy can never be fully eliminated but if you charge a price that the public is willing to pay, then they are significantly less likely to resort to piracy. Reducing royalties paid to publishers and artists, I suppose is one way to achieve this.
However, the RIAA acknowledging of this could just be a publicity stunt to show that they are trying to adapt to piracy when in fact they are only interested in screwing over the smaller independent artists to benefit the larger record companies. It could be that reduced royalties do not result in lower CD/digital music costs in which case I don't believe reducing royalties is useful.
I had to say it because I honestly don't know their intentions. I agree that they historically have not been interested in consumer rights nor consumer costs. However, their goal in this case, IMO, appears to be to increase sales by reducing piracy as a result of reducing consumer costs. As a result, even though it wasn't their intention, such a move could benefit both the consumer and the music industry.
Most times they screw the consumer for the artist.
But this time, given the popularity of ringtones, they're screwing the artist for the children.
You were mistaken. Which is odd, since memory shouldn't be a problem for you
I personally know of 3 music artists that have died due to starvation, just in the last 2 weeks. One was a good friend involved on the verge of signing a big record deal with Sony music, but someone leaked the band's latest album on the net before the deal could be signed.. Once Sony realized pirates were using the internat to mass-copy the album, the lawyers walked away and my friend was left homeless and broke.. it was horrible watching his body decompose before my very eyes, I hope you never have to go through the same experience
The Newcomen Engine people are still pissed at the Watt people for breaking their monopoly on manually-operated steam engines.
The higher the technology, the sharper that two-edged sword.
Is it just me or does this sentence make no fucking sense?
After all the coke they've done, you expect it to make sense?
Seven puppies were harmed during the making of this post.
I prefer "Author" for Lawyers: as many produce brilliant works of fiction.
Ahem. I represent both Weasels AND Rats, and they take issue with being equated with the RIAA. They're both **much** better than the raw-sewage-that-walks-like-a-man members of the RIAA. . .
I represent the guild of sewer-cleaners, and I'd like to point out that my members would not even consider touching the filth that makes up the RIAA.
I feel like death on a soda cracker.
"In Soviet Russia, the means of production seize you!"
I'm so sorry to have posted that. But you asked for it.