Copyright License Fees Drive Pandora Out of Canada

An anonymous reader writes "Online streaming music services such as Pandora are abandoning plans to launch in Canada, claiming licensing fees are too high: 'These rates ... are astronomical,' Tim Westergren, founder of California-based Pandora, wrote in an email to The Canadian Press. The agency that collects music royalties in Canada on behalf of record companies and performing artists wants to charge web-based music sites that stream to mobile devices the greater of two figures: 45 per cent of the site's gross revenues in Canada or 7.5-tenths of a cent for every song streamed. Meanwhile, record labels are blaming the lack of online music services in Canada on piracy: 'Why would you spend a lot of money trying to build a service in Canada when Canadians take so much without paying for it?' said Graham Henderson, president of the Canadian Recording Industry Association, which represents major record labels."

Comments

hey now

[BigJClark]

I've bought and paid for every single Nickleback album I have in my collection. Which is none.

Re:Slacker

[mark72005]

Reminds me of the old email forward about the Canadian tax form:

A. How much did you make? _______

B. Send it to us.

Re:Slacker

[camperdave]

Money is tight for companies like Pandora, which is why they should go in to the hardware business

Wait... You want Pandora to build a box? Have you learned nothing from mythology?

You sir too, are a criminal!

[RingDev]

I'm going to have to charge you royalties. You see, that "wooosh" noise you just heard is a copy righted track from my latest albumn, "Sounds of Sarcasm". For the illegal usage of my art, I am going to have to sue you for $75,000. I'll settle out of court right now for just $2,000.

-Rick