BrianBosworth
09.07.08, 00:56
The music industry is getting increasingly desperate these days. Proof lies in the fact that it's ramped up its efforts to get terrestrial radio broadcasters to pay the same amount in royalties that their brethren do on internet and satellite radio.
For radio has long enjoyed an odd exception under federal copyright law that requires it only to compensate songwriters and publishers, but not the musicians themselves. After going after mothers, children , disabled veterans, and even the deceased, I guess it was only a matter of time before its lawyers sought ought fresh targets.
With the latest revenue target in mind, a group called musicFirst, representing the recording industry, recently sent the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) a can of herring, a dictionary, and some free digital songs in an attempt to mock the group and highlight its fight to make them pay an equal amount in royalties as everyone else.
"It's a form of piracy, if you will, but not in the classic sense as we think of it," said Martin Machowsky, a musicFirst spokesman. "Today we gifted them a can of herring, about their argument that they provide promotional value. We think that's a red herring. Nobody listens to the radio for the commercials."
What's particularly funny in all of this is that seems to be a case of reverse payola and shows just how out of touch the music industry is these days. It used to pay radio stations to get bands some exposure and now it wants to make them pay to expose their bands?
Oh my has the recording industry lost its mind.
Source: RIAA Officially Crazy, Calls Radio 'A Form of Piracy' (http://www.zeropaid.com/news/9594/RIAA%20Officially%20Crazy,%20Calls%20Radio%20'A%20 Form%20of%20Piracy)'
For radio has long enjoyed an odd exception under federal copyright law that requires it only to compensate songwriters and publishers, but not the musicians themselves. After going after mothers, children , disabled veterans, and even the deceased, I guess it was only a matter of time before its lawyers sought ought fresh targets.
With the latest revenue target in mind, a group called musicFirst, representing the recording industry, recently sent the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) a can of herring, a dictionary, and some free digital songs in an attempt to mock the group and highlight its fight to make them pay an equal amount in royalties as everyone else.
"It's a form of piracy, if you will, but not in the classic sense as we think of it," said Martin Machowsky, a musicFirst spokesman. "Today we gifted them a can of herring, about their argument that they provide promotional value. We think that's a red herring. Nobody listens to the radio for the commercials."
What's particularly funny in all of this is that seems to be a case of reverse payola and shows just how out of touch the music industry is these days. It used to pay radio stations to get bands some exposure and now it wants to make them pay to expose their bands?
Oh my has the recording industry lost its mind.
Source: RIAA Officially Crazy, Calls Radio 'A Form of Piracy' (http://www.zeropaid.com/news/9594/RIAA%20Officially%20Crazy,%20Calls%20Radio%20'A%20 Form%20of%20Piracy)'