The SoundExchange Billion Dollar Administrative Fee

palewook writes "On June 7th, Yahoo, RealNetworks, Pandora, and Live365 sent letters to US lawmakers emphasizing they owe SoundExchange 'administrative fees' of more than $1 billion dollars a year. These fees would be paid for the 'privilege' of collecting the increased CRB royalties effective July 15th, unless the Internet Radio Equality Act passes Congress. SoundExchange, the non-profit music industry entity, admits the levied charge of $500 per 'channel' is supposed to only cover their administrative costs. Last year, SoundExchange collected a total of $20 million dollars from the Internet radio industry. Under the new 'administrative fee' RealNetworks, which hosted 400,000 unique subscribed channels in 2006, would owe an annual administrative charge of 200 million dollars in addition to the retroactive 2006 rate hike per song played."

Comments

How dare they.

[Anonymous Coward]

How dare they.

Re:How dare they.

[Anonymous Coward]

Wow like I care about this. Maybe the only thing I care less about is Iraq.

If you didn't vote Libertarian YOU ASKED FORTHIS

[Anonymous Coward]

This is yet another way for the government to take money from the citizens at gunpoint to give to others. Anyone who voted Republicrat or Democan shut up and go sit on the sidelines. The Republicrats and Democans enacted this and you voted for them asking for an intrusive and activist government. You have no room to complain now. You asked for this.

__________________________________________________ ____
A vote against a Libertarian candidate is
a vote to abolish the Constitution itself.

If you did vote Libertarian YOU'RE A FUCKTARD

[Anonymous Coward]

I was wrong, a vote against a Libertarian Candidate is a vote towards the right direction. We Libertarians are nothing more than a bunch of fucktards who should go slit our fucking wrists.
-Bob Robertson

dollars $ dollars

[Anonymous Coward]

$1 billion dollars Pet peeve of mine. How do you pronounce "$1 billion"? "One billion dollars" How do you pronounce "$1 billion dollars"? "One billion dollars dollars". If you're going to spell out "dollars" you don't need the dollars sign and, in fact, you should spell out the word as well. Such as "one billion dollars".

If you didn't vote Democrat YOU ASKED FOR THIS

[Anonymous Coward]

The Iraq war and Nazi Bush and PNAC Cheney and Operation Northwoods and Global Warming and Guantanamo Bay will be responsible for AMERICA'S DEMISE!!!

You must vote Democrat or else the world will be destroyed!!!!

VOTE DEMOCRAT

tubgirL

[Anonymous Coward]

lubrication. You troubles of those THE GAY NIGGERS haaPiness Another

mod dOwn

[Anonymous Coward]

argued by eric long term survival quarreled on

Re:It's sad...

[glitch23]

The only people in the USA who get any freedom and opportunity are the Mexicans. The best part is that everyone else gets to pay for it thanks to the idiots in the gov't who don't listen to the actual citizens.