Help support webcasting by protecting its future.
Please read the following information on how to help:
On May 10, 2007, The Internet Radio Equality Act (Senate Bill 1353), introduced by U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Sam Brownback (R-KS), addresses mistakes and deficiencies of a March 2, 2007 decision by the Copyright Royalty Board that will dramatically increase the royalties payments owed to rights holders for the streaming of music offered on the internet.
This Senate Bill is nearly identical to Congressmen Jay Inslee (D WA 1st CD) and Don Manzullo, (R- ILL 16th CD), House Bill bill. The only difference is in the Transition Provision. Because both these bills would authorize new negotiations and, if negotiations fail, new Copyright Royalty Board proceedings, the proposal would also establish annual royalty levels for a transition period, set at 1.05 times (for the Senate Bill) and 1.5 times (for the House Bill) the annual royalties paid during the period ending December 31, 2004 (the last date on which the previous royalty agreements were in effect). This would provide copyright owners with a reasonable increase in royalty levels without causing the major disruptions that the CRB decision would have.
Here are current lists of sponsors:
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d110:HR02060:@@@P - H.R. 2060
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d110:SN01353:@@@P - S. 1353
How can you help?
You can contact your representatives on Capitol Hill to alert them to this decision and its potential negative impact on your station and public radio. Use your zip code to search for contact info:
U.S. Senate
www.senate.gov
U.S. House of Representatives
www.house.gov
In addition to the points above, your message(s) to your representative(s) might include that public radio is asking for a reasonable solution to this issue, a solution that:
Respects the property rights of the artists and recording companies.
Eliminates burdensome bureaucratic recordkeeping.
Reduces costs of the CRB and SoundExchange (the industry recordkeeping agency).
Ensures that the public is served on the internet as it is served by public radio through broadcasting.
For more information:
Tell Them Public Matters
www.tellthempublicmatters.org/radio.html
Save The Streams
www.savenetradio.org
RAIN: Radio and Internet Newsletter
www.kurthanson.com
Copyright Royalty Board
www.loc.gov/crb
Future of Music Coalition
www.futureofmusic.org