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."

Comments

Re:What the fuck man, have you no compassion?

[Lloyd_Bryant]

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...

I'm probably going to get nailed as a troll for this one, but:

What were YOU doing while this "good friend" was starving to death? Couldn't spare a meal or two?

Of course, in reality I doubt that this "friend" even exists. I'm guessing you're a shill for the RIAA trying to build some sympathy by once again playing the "starving artists" card.

Illogical

[Chabil Ha']

Because the marginal cost for each additional unit created (ie a song) is negligible. Logic would dictate that there ought to be an increase in the artists' royalties because the sum cost of distributing a song has significantly dropped.