Copyright Office Accepting Digital Music Comments

program21 writes "The Copyright Office has just announced it will be accepting comments about rules for governing SoundExchange. SoundExchange is the RIAA division responsible for collecting royalties for webcasts. This is your chance to make sure the RIAA doesn't get to walk all over webcasters!" You've got until May 21st to be heard.

Fox and the Henhouse

[D.A. Zollinger]

The Copyright Office is setting up rules on how the RIAA can collect royalties from Web Casters? Isn't that like the Fox setting up rules on how many chickens it can take per night from the henhouse? Anyone else sense a conflict of interest?

Re:Fox and the Henhouse

[freestyle-fiend]

I don't think that there is a conflict of interest. The Copyright Office is supposed to represent the interests of the whole country.

However, the RIAA is just supposed to represent its members. It does not speak out for copyright any further than copyright makes its members richer (this is why it dislikes current copyright restrictions and wants them to be stronger). It does not determine copyright law.

No one cares

[mhesseltine]

At the time I posted this, there was 1 other comment (and not a FP, BTW). It seems obvious to me that no one really cares about a webcaster getting screwed.

Oh sure, when a story shows up on /. about it, 500 people post to say how outraged they are. But, when there's a forum for actual discussion about how to fix the problem, no one bothers to comment?

Perhaps it's because we've all decided to say "screw it" and just download our music using our favorite P2P software and not bother with streaming webcasts?

Re:No one cares

[program21]

I plan to comment, although since I submitted the story, it's not really all that surprising, I'd expect.

Re:No one cares

[Jebediah21]

Part of the problem is that /. didn't post this important story to the front page and instead decided other stories were more important. Honestly it blows.

Re:No one cares

[mhesseltine]

Now venturing into OT territory:

Part of the problem is that /. didn't post this important story to the front page and instead decided other stories were more important. Honestly it blows.

That's strange, because I saw this on the frontpage and was curious as to why there were so few comments. Any idea why some people would see it on the frontpage and others wouldn't?

Re:No one cares

[Jebediah21]

I think it has to do with the maximum number of stories value in your user prefs. I can't remember what the default is (10?) but I have mine set to 30. I assume that if it is set to the default you don't see all the stories. I could be wrong. What is your maximum number set at?

Re:No one cares

[mhesseltine]

Mine's also set at 30. Not sure what the deal is? Another /. bug?

Re:No one cares

[Jebediah21]

Nope, just /. being /. again I'm afraid. I like k5 better but I just want the tech news most the time.

Translation?

[adolf]

Would anyone care to post an English translation of the copyright.gov page?

Translated

[danoatvulaw]

Ok here goes.. a little background to start.
copyright owners have exclusive rights to their works, and those rights are found under section 106 of the copyright act. The exclusive right to digital transmission of audio is covered under the copyright act, section 106(6), and is different from a public performance under 106(4), which would cover the radio or anywhere else for that matter.

For the sake of not boring you to death with a long legal explaination , let's just say that there is a provision of th

Shouldn't this be on the front page?

[viperblades]

"Run Your Car on Grease" makes it to the front page and yet this story doesn't. Certainly news for nerds stuff that matters.

What's up with /.?

[Prien715]

Is there something going on I don't know about or is there a reason no one comments anymore?

or, you can...

[zogger]

...actually not give them any money. You don't stream any of their stupid music. that's the answer. You can't just dance with part of the devil, you have to make up your mind, make an executive decision. You don't *have* to use their stuff. If ALL the webcasters did that, then that would make a statement. Why ask what the listeners think? It's obvious,hardly no one likes those guys and just about everyone wants them to go pound sand. They are about as equally loathed as spammers. Loathed. I don't buy their

Comments

[Danse]

Note that the Copyright Office is accepting comments. They don't promise to read them, consider them, or do anything else in particular with them. For all we know they stick them on a web page somewhere and promptly forget about them. What incentive do they have to listen to us anyway?

Re:Comments

[program21]

Well, they accepted comments [copyright.gov] supporting exemptions from the DMCA, and also accepted reply comments [copyright.gov] to those, and are now holding hearings [copyright.gov] about the proposed exemptions. So they do more with the comments than just forget about them, at least in this case.