In protest at the Copyright Royalty Board’s decision to increase royalties payable by Internet Radio broadcasters by a massive amount and retroactively impose them back to June 2006, a very large proportion of the Internet’s radio stations have gone quiet. Live365, Pandora, DI.fm and ultimately, Shoutcast.com.
Although the quietness only lasted for 24 hours, it won’t be long before that quietness becomes permanent on or shortly after 15th July 2007.
The CRB and SoundExchange (the people responsible for collection of royalties) have effectively throttled the life out of independent internet broadcasters. The only conclusion I can reach is that the RIAA members have realised there is a growing interest in Internet Radio stations and if it continues to grow, their margins and control of the music industry will begin to falter. What better way to put paid to that than to increase royalties by so much that small internet broadcasters simply can’t afford to exist thereby leaving only the big boys, already owned and controlled by the RIAA, to continue playing the music only they want us to hear?
What annoys me most about this whole thing is that yet again the RIAA have manipulated the US Government and law courts to achieve control and the US Government let them do it. What can I do about it? Nothing because I don’t live in the US. If you’re a US resident reading this then please do something!
