Satellite, internet, what’s the dif?
The Copyright Royalty board Monday settled on new rates for music licensing by satellite radio stations. The rate is based on the amount of revenue taken in by the station, the only question up for decision was what percentage of the revenue would be due for music fees. Details on the decision can be found in this article by the associated press, via the Houston Chronicle.
Internet radio stations, on the other hand, must pay music fees based on the number of listeners (roughly).
Business wise, the difference in the two pay models means that satellite radio can produce a predictable and fairly accurate yearly budget, while internet radio can only budget on the Magic 8 ball plan - that is, make a guess and then find out later what the real answer is.
Policy wise, I personally see no reason to differentiate between satellite and internet. The current differences are based in part on the technical language in the copyright law concerning transmission methods, although the language was not written with this result contemplated. The difference is also partly based on the relative muscle and obfuscation strategies of the various constituents with an interest in this issue, rather than on a considered, comprehensive policy strategy.
It’s past time for Congress to make that “big picture” policy review. There may very well be great reasons for treating satellite and internet differently, but until that debate takes place in a careful and considered way, the public will continue to see our copyright laws as absurd and random - a recipe for widespread difficulties.
Fun link of the day: A NASCAR blog. I’m not exactly a NASCAR fan, but I’ve become sort of a NASCAR watcher because of my son. He’s a true NASCAR fan(atic). He’s 15 and has cerebral palsy, and he can’t talk but he can find NASCAR clips set to heavy metal music on YouTube with the ease that other teenagers text each other during class. His teacher can’t get him to answer a question in class, but he can subscribe to his favorite posters on YouTube faster than I can get the mouse away from him. So in honor of Dylan, this NASCAR blog is my link of the day.
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