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The Music Industry Is Begging the US Government To Change Its Copyright Laws (theverge.com)

An anonymous reader shares an article on The Verge: Christina Aguilera, Katy Perry, deadmau5, and dozens of other musicians are asking the U.S. government to revamp the Digital Millennium Copyright act (DMCA), the piece of law that governs access to copyrighted work on the internet. Musicians, managers, and "creators" from across the industry co-signed petitions sent to the U.S. Copyright Office arguing that tech companies -- think YouTube and Tumblr, sites with vast reserves of content that infringes on some copyright -- have "grown and generated huge profits" on the backs of material that's illegally hosted. "The growth and support of technology companies should not be at the expense of artists and songwriters," reads the letter signed by Aguilera, Perry, and their peers. "The tech companies who benefit from the DMCA today were not the intended protectorate when it was signed into law two decades ago."

15 of 209 comments (clear)

  1. Irony by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    "The tech companies who benefit from the DMCA today were not the intended protectorate when it was signed into law two decades ago."

    Well, the music industry that benefit from copyright now were not the intended protectorate when copyright was signed into law, but I guess that doesn't fit with the narrative.

    Why don't they bring up some struggling artists instead of those who the record industry didn't screw over? Oh right, no-one actually cares about those.

  2. " not the intended protectorate " by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    "not the intended protectorate" ?
    neither were the artists. the intended protectorate of copyright law, from the VERY BEGINNING has been the PUBLIC GOOD
    public good only comes from encouraging creation of useful arts and sciences by granting a monopoly for a SHORT TIME and then releasing the content into the public domain.

    copyright terms need to go back to 14 years, and in the internet age, even that might as well be a billion years.

  3. #WheresTheFairUse by dissy · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Some details to keep in mind as this unfolds.

    Yes, a hundred or two "creators" such as those in the list above have asked the copyright office to expand the DMCA to remove more of our rights and to take more from the public than they already are.

    But *hundreds of thousands* of "creators" that produce content on youtube using nothing but content they create themselves and is copyright to themselves have asked the copyright office to fix the DMCA by providing evidence how it is illegally used to harass, steal money from people with no audio what so ever in their videos, restrict opinions of those using nothing but their voice, and otherwise game the system to cause harm to them.

    Hundreds of thousands of people vs a couple hundred.

    It will be very telling to see how this latest DMCA petition plays out.

    Some videos on the subject for those interested:
    Doug Walker

    MundaneMatt regarding Jim Sterlink vs Digital Homicide
    The game studio started an attack against Jim for his unflattering* review, threatened a DMCA take down as revenge, and proceeded to do so.
    Jim is now one of only 12 youtube channels "protected" so any copyright claim is handled by a human being.

    Brad Jones video that is long and you don't need to watch more than a few seconds of - that got a copyright strike that stole his ad revenue.
    Note that it is three people sitting in a car in a parking lot talking. Nothing else.

    And these are only the big subscriber base channels that can complain and be heard.
    Uncountable small channels are taken offline with zero recourse for not using copyright material they didn't make themselves all the time, and nearly no one hears about it due to their small size.

    These couple hundred artists claim "The growth and support of technology companies should not be at the expense of artists and songwriters" ?
    How about the artists and songwritters, harassers, trolls, and people who don't like what you say shouldn't be protected at the expense of the rights of everyone else.

  4. Re: They want people to pay for backround music on by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I have absolutely no sympathy for people profiting off of other's work.

    Then you should really hate capitalists.

  5. The artists are confused by Duncan+J+Murray · · Score: 5, Insightful

    So Katy Perry who earned between 30-50 million every year between 2009 and 2014 (sorry not verified, but I suspect ball-park is not far off) thinks she's losing out because of the modern internet.

    There are so many things wrong with this. Firstly, it's the record companies that are suffering. But they are suffering because artists don't really need them nowadays. They used to have a monopoly on the recording studios and publicity, but with modern electronics and software that allows you to find music you might like on spotify, soundcloud, youtube, what role do they play now? If they can get the artists on their side to help them with their profits, bonus to them, but sorry artists - you're being fooled.

    Secondly, I frankly don't think Katy Perry deserves the multimillions of dosh, when I spend more time listening to and appreciate more the artists who put up their music for free on soundcloud. Don't get me wrong, I like the odd track from Katy Perry, but there's some great stuff being made by people who I don't think are doing it to be multimillionaires.

    I think we're at a golden age of music precisely because of sites like soundcloud and youtube. It's important that money flows from listeners to the artists, but less should go to Kate Perry and more to the great and many artists I actually listen to.

    1. Re:The artists are confused by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Katy Perry is just the figurehead for her music really. The lyrics were written by someone else (probably a team of people). The music was composed by another composer or composers. The musical production was done by a whole team of producers, technicians and assorted experts. The marketing team made sure her music was played, which is the only reason you ever heard it. Her stage show was designed in conjunction with a whole team of artists, and only made possible by teams of dancers and technical types. And if it wasn't for the various social media and content platforms she would never have become anywhere near as popular as she is.

      So... who should be the beneficiary if any copyright windfall? Katy et al?

  6. FEED Christina Aguilera, Katy Perry, deadmau5! by CanEHdian · · Score: 5, Funny

    I feel so bad for Christina Aguilera, Katy Perry, deadmau5 and all the other starving artists of this world. And at the same time I feel anger directed towards all those illegal downloaders that are responsible for their poverty! So let's all chip in and donate to their food banks. Just have the interviewer ask which food bank they go to (and what bus route they are on in case someone wants to donate a bus pass).

    --
    When the copyright term is "forever minus a day", live every day like it's the last.
  7. Real Irony by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Irony is Deadmau5 signing this bullshit. YouTube made him more than just another shitty club DJ, and stealing content via "remixing" and "sampling" is how he "made" music in the first place.

    Its just proof those who get on top want to cut all the ladders so no one else can join them.

  8. Re: They want people to pay for backround music on by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I have absolutely no sympathy for people profiting off of other's work.

    Then you must hate all musicians.

    The "creators" did not invent harmony, the mathematics of musical scales, nor did they discover the act of rhyming or pleasant lyrical composition and accompaniment themselves. They are using languages, instruments, culture nor even pentameter or tempo that they are using to appeal to those of Earth's culture. Indeed, if they were to make something truly original it would be so alien that it would have little to no cultural relevance and thus not be valued by any of Earth's peoples (except a vanishingly small minority of xenocultural researchers).

    Nearly all of the content in a "new" musical creation has been taken from the public domain. Musicians merely remix the existing themes and sounds of our culture and are thus truly and primarily "profiting off of other's work".

    Your opinions are cancerous and destructive to the culture which gives new creations a basis for existence. Humans are information duplication machines, as indeed Life itself is. We are born with the purpose to carry forward and duplicate the information of our ancestors and current culture so that we may all survive into the future. Your foolish standpoint is counter to your very existence, nay contrary to the existence of life itself.

    I suggest you jump in a tarpit, lest your ill conceived shortsighted tendency towards greed further hinder the herd.

  9. Re: What about my brother's first dance? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I'm fine with us paying more for their music if they are willing to pay me and everyone I know for advertising their music. Every time I olay a song other people around me hear it and I advertise it. Every time I share a song or comment on a video I am helping to promote their music. If I talk to my friends about an artist guess who is benefitting from the free advertising? They should have to pay royalties to me for advertising their product the same way they want me to lay royalties everyone I hear their suck ass music.

  10. Re:Same Music Industry that sues bars and arcades by innocent_white_lamb · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I own and operate a movie theatre and I pay a yearly per-seat fee for the music that's in the movies, believe it or not.

    I questioned this once since I have difficulty believing that the film companies don't own the rights to the music that's in their own product (and most of the film companies are music publishing houses), and this is what I was told:

    QUOTE:
    The movie company does not own the public performance rights. Generally speaking they will have negotiated the âoereproductionâ right â" or the separate right to reproduce the musical work in their films. Once a film is shown in theatres, this engages the âoeperformingâ right, or the right to perform the work in public.
    END OF QUOTE

    --
    If you're a zombie and you know it, bite your friend!
  11. Re:Same Music Industry that sues bars and arcades by Joe_Dragon · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Just like the mob days. You have a nice place here now you don't want something bad to happen so pay up.

  12. Re:What about my brother's first dance? by Wycliffe · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Not do away with, just require Google to pay a licensing fee if they intend to show it.

    Keep in mind Google makes money off your videos via advertising. They absolutely should pay for music used in that content.

    So why should music be singled out? Why not pay the guests at the wedding for appearing in the video? What about the creator of the wedding dress? What about the 15 million other people and things that went into making that dance possible? Everything is built on everything else. We are all standing on the shoulders of giants. I have no problem with the people who write music getting paid but there should be large areas of fair use and even with that, I'm not sure perpetual royalties are the best method. The creator of C++, the pc, ram, harddrive, the internet, etc.... don't get perpetual royalties and if they did it would probably break the internet. In order for society to advance we need to be able to build from and expand on what came before.

  13. Re: They want people to pay for backround music on by Black+LED · · Score: 5, Funny

    Lawyer: But don't use A-flat or G-natural. Those are owned by Disney.
    Homer: (moans)
    Lawyer: That's A-flat.
    Homer: (moans in a higher key)
    Lawyer: That's better!

  14. Re: They want people to pay for backround music on by Casualposter · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Sorry, these are NOT capitalists. They are monopolists. Their whole business model is based around a government granted monopoly on the production and distribution of creative materials - and in NO WAY reflects any of the principles of capitalism. What they want is for their monopoly to be complete and without recourse by a public forced to purchase their wares at what ever rate and pricing scheme they have dreamt up in some drug induced haze in sleazy Thai brothel. There is not one ounce of competitive spirit within these organizations and never has been. They have fought against every technological advancement since the invention of the printing press (which is how we were saddled with copyright in the first place) and have waged a centuries long campaign to convince everyone that our very language, music, and art should be owned by someone - usually a king or giant company.

    Capitalist have their own problems, but these are not capitalists.

    --
    Creative Spelling Copyright (2002). May use without Persimmons