Crap crap crap crap

DC-Based Copyright Royalty Board Rejects Plea from Webcasters

Washington, DC -- The DC-based Copyright Royalty Board (CRB) on Monday denied motions submitted by various webcasters, who had asked the board to reconsider new, higher royalty rates for streaming music online. The CRB said that the motions, from groups including DC-based National Public Radio and the DC-based Digital Media Association (DiMA) -- which represents large webcasters like Yahoo, AOL, Microsoft, RealNetworks and Live365 -- contained no new evidence, and denied them on procedural grounds. The CRB also declined to postpone enactment of the new rates beyond May 15. Webcasters will now likely seek relief from an appellate court, Congress and through possible new negotiations with the record industry. "The CRB's denial of a rehearing today is all but a nail in the coffin for Internet radio, and May 15 now looms as the day the music will die," said Jonathan Potter, the executive director of DiMA. A group of webcasters, web radio listeners, labels and artists has now launched the SaveNetRadio Coalition, which bills itself as "a national grassroots campaign aimed at preserving the future of Internet radio."

(Via Potomac Tech Wire)