Slashdot Mirror
Experimental Fees Settle Royalty War For Internet Radio
S-100 writes "SoundExchange has reached an agreement for royalty rates with a consortium of Internet radio broadcasters. The parties are ecstatic that the issue is finally resolved, and that the new rates are below the previous 'death to Internet radio' levels that had previously been imposed by the CARB. According to NewsFactor, Pandora founder Tim Westergren proclaims that 'the royalty crisis is over!', and other large broadcasters are equally pleased. One unheard-from group is less likely to be pleased: small Internet radio broadcasters. Buried in the details are a new minimum royalty payment: $25,000 per year. So say goodbye to all of the small Internet radio stations that you have been listening to, as they will no longer afford to operate legally."
...So you are defending a crappy product with a crappier product? Well, Windows ME didn't make my computer burst into flames whenever I loaded it on a computer, so it must be a great OS! Seriously, SiriusXM has few stations and no less DJ chatter/radio spam then terrestrial radio, and honestly, if I was paying for the service (the only time I ever used it was when I got a like 3 month trial with a car) I would rather it be much more like an iPod or CD, music non-stop. But again, just because a product is better then a terrible product, doesn't mean that the product is good.
Taxation is legalized theft, no more, no less.