Opposition to Copyright Royalty Board's decision on webcasting rates
- Target:
- United States Congress
- Region:
- GLOBAL
The Copyright Royalty Board has handed down a decision after meeting behind closed doors with Pandora and coming to an agreement in reference to royalty rate increases ( http://www.loc.gov/crb/web-iv/amended-web-iv-terms.pdf ) that literally cripples any small webcaster anywhere in the United States of America !
In this agreement it states that the rate is $0.17 per 100 songs , per listener , raising rates so high that it makes it unaffordable by any broadcaster anywhere.
While this bill HR1733 is good to force terrestrial radio to finally pay royalties which they had never done since the beginning of internet broadcasting, the original " Small Webcaster Settlement Act " ( SWSA ) has been eliminated making no provision whatsoever for hobbyist broadcasters who have no revenue to pay the outlandish fee's that would be incurred upon them by the elimination of this agreement.
It also creates a monopoly which according to US law has been deemed illegal in the United States of America , allowing only major corporations like Pandora and iHeart Radio to control what is being heard on the internet.
For years, small webcasters have been paying royalty fee's when terrestrial was not! And as a thank you for all the years of trying to do what was right , to be lawful and pay royalties that artists worldwide have worked so hard for and deserve, the Copyright Royalty Board has decided only the wealthy should be allowed to broadcast, thus ending small broadcasters tiny businesses all over the USA.
Finally, this bill does not only affect the small broadcaster , but affects many businesses that small webcasters have supported as well thus eliminating literally MILLIONS of dollars of spending in business such as :
* Streaming Servers
* Chatrooms and servers
* Messengers
* Communities and servers
* Games
* Webhosting and servers
* Banner Hosting services and many other services !
For years small broadcasters have been paying licensing fee's to stay legal on the internet, paying dues in appreciation for the hobby they so love. They have all had a dream of one day climbing that ladder to make a name for themselves, to achieve success. Some didn't have that dream, they just wanted to enjoy what they loved to do. Now that dream has been stomped on, spat on, and kicked to the curb by the very people we entrust to treat us fairly. It's shameful , unjust and should be considered criminal because of the results of this decision being made.
It should not be allowed.
We the undersigned oppose the decision of The Copyright Royalty Board to not include a provision such as the Small Webcaster's Settlement Act of 2002 which allows for small webcasters to have the ability to pay affordable royalty rate fee's.
The rates set are totally unfair to those who do not have the revenue such as the larger broadcasters like Pandora and iHeart.
We the undersigned ask that a provision be included in this decision so that thousands of small webcasters and their listeners and services they do business with may continue to enjoy the music and environment they have created and not be crippled by the Fair Play , Fair Pay bill , as it is not fair at all!
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The Opposition to Copyright Royalty Board's decision on webcasting rates petition to United States Congress was written by Independent Small Webcasters and their listeners and is in the category Media Issues at GoPetition.