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

Re:Welcome to socialist utoipan taxes

[snowraver1]

Canada is a great country. We have lots of space, natural resources, and clean water. We have lots of land to work and play in. We have a banking system that didn't need massive bailouts. We are the number one supplier of Oil to the US, and supplied Uranium to create the first Atomic bomb. We are an energy superpower and the USA is addicted to our oil. Canada is only getting more powerful.

You are correct though that Canada is not a great contry, it is the greatest country in the world. Canada is safe, beautiful, clean, and rich.