Copyright Board Lawyer Responds On Pandora's End

mattnyc99 writes "A month ago we talked about the impending death of streaming music site Pandora thanks to a very backwards fight over royalties. PopMech follows up with an article that, besides noting how insane it is that Pandora has to pay record labels for the bad songs that users skip, also gets the (three-member) Copyright Royalty Board to try and defend itself about why the government is determining royalty rates for the music industry. Quoting: 'It was uninvited,' says Richard Strasser, senior attorney for the Copyright Royalty Board. 'I don't think anybody was jumping up and down with joy in the government that they have this responsibility, but the former systems just weren't working out.'" No one seems to be trying to defend or explain why Internet radio is being hit so much harder than satellite or broadcast.

Comments

Pity

[Stanistani]

I have been listening to Pandora, discovering new artists, and had begun to buy music again (most of my music collection is CDs bought in the Eighties). Guess I'll just go back to listening to my 'oldies' - I can't be bothered to keep fighting the music industry to accept my money.

Re:Pity

[Man On Pink Corner]

I have been listening to Pandora, discovering new artists, and had begun to buy music again

Please consider checking RIAA Radar when buying music that you find through Pandora. When you pay for content published on RIAA labels, you are literally paying people to fight against your interests as a music fan.

If people would simply stop rewarding stupidity, the RIAA would melt like the penny-dreadful movie villains they are.

Re:Why internet radio is hit harder

[Anonymous Coward]

The reason is regular people can be broadcasters on the internet. This is not very appealing to large commercial cartels. They want to make royalties not just on the content but also the the broadcasting hardware. It ain't cheap or easy to start an XM radio or regular O-T-A radio station. The commercial interests want their cut â" so they seek to drive any one out of business who is doing internet radio.

Re:Why internet radio is hit harder

[QRDeNameland]

No one seems to be trying to defend or explain why Internet radio is being hit so much harder than satellite or broadcast.

That's an easy one. Cause people use the internet to steal copyrighted material.

People can't "steal copyrighted material" from satellite and broadcast?

I think I've got a better explanation. Broadcast and satellite are channels that require very high initial investment, thus locking out small competitors. Internet radio can be set up by anyone, and thus is harder for an industry cartel to control.