Published by Randall Krause on Saturday, June 16, 2007 [Permalink] [Return to Top]
Labels, Artists Seek Royalties from Terrestrial Radio
Recording Industry Forms Coalition to Impose 'Performance Tax'
The recording industry recently announced the formation of the musicFIRST Coalition, whose members presently include SoundExchange, RIAA, several industry unions, and over 80 recording artists.
According to a June 14 press conference, the group's primary goal is to institute the legal framework for recording artists and record labels to finally receive public performance royalties from traditional (analog) broadcasting mediums in the United States.
"Of all the ways we listen to music, 'Corporate Radio' is the only medium that refuses to pay performers even a fraction of a penny for their voice and creativity," stated Mark Kadesh, executive director of musicFIRST. "This campaign is about making sure everyone, from up-and-coming artists to our favorites from years-ago, is guaranteed fair treatment when their music is played."
This is one the most misguided statements I've seen published by an RIAA-spokesperson in some time.
How is it "fair treatment" that only terrestrial radio broadcasters should implicate the performance right in sound recordings? Meanwhile dance clubs, skating rinks, mobile DJs, and numerous other businesses — which are built entirely upon the use of recorded music — should remain exempt from compensating SRCOs and recording artists.
If we truly want to level the playing field, then the U.S. should finally adopt a broad public performance right in sound recordings like that of the rest of the industrialized world. Any and all businesses that commercially exploit sound recordings (whether via an analog or digital broadcast audio transmission of a sound recording or via an amplified audio rendition of a sound recording at the location of origin) should necessarily remunerate the creators of those same artistic works.
Seriously, is the U.S. recording industry trying to shoot itself in the foot when they finally have the opportunity to fix the Copyright Act once and for all?
Randall Krause
Executive Director
Small Webcaster Community Initiative
randall@smallwebcaster.org
