Head Tale

I'm not a huge fan of Internet petitions for the most part but this one
makes sense, not least of all because it is trying to mobilize Internet users to save something specific to the online world, namely Internet radio.  The Myths & Facts section of the SaveInternetRadio.org web site is enlightening as is this editorial by David Byrne of the Talking Heads (thanks to David J. via Librarian Activist for the link.)

Please take a couple minutes to sign the petition! 

—
On March 2, 2007 the Copyright Royalty Board (CRB), which oversees
sound recording royalties paid by Internet radio services, increased
Internet radio's royalty burden between 300 and 1200 percent and
thereby jeopardized the industry’s future.   

At the
request of the Recording Industry Association of America, the CRB
ignored the fact that Internet radio royalties were already double what
satellite radio pays, and multiplied the royalties even further.  The
2005 royalty rate was 7/100 of a penny per song streamed; the 2010 rate
will be 19/100 of a penny per song streamed.  And for small webcasters
that were able to calculate royalties as a percentage of revenue in
2005 – that option was quashed by the CRB, so small webcasters’
royalties will grow exponentially!

Before this ruling
was handed down, the vast majority of webcasters were barely making
ends meet as Internet radio advertising revenue is just beginning to
develop.  Without a doubt most Internet radio services will go bankrupt
and cease webcasting if this royalty rate is not reversed by the
Congress, and webcasters’ demise will mean a great loss of creative and
diverse radio.  Surviving webcasters will need sweetheart licenses that
major record labels will be only too happy to offer, so long as the
webcaster permits the major label to control the programming and
playlist.  Is that the Internet radio you care to hear?  

As
you know, the wonderful diversity of Internet radio is enjoyed by tens
of millions of Americans and provides promotional and royalty
opportunities to independent labels and artists that are not available
to them on broadcast radio.  What you may not know is that in just the
last year Internet radio listening jumped dramatically, from 45 million
listeners per month to 72 million listeners each month.  Internet radio
is already popular and it is already benefiting thousands of artists
who are finding new fans online every day.

Action must
be taken to stop this faulty ruling from destroying the future of
Internet radio that so many millions of listeners depend on each day. 
Instead of relying on lawyers filing appeals in the CRB and the courts,
the SaveNetRadio Coalition has been formed to represent every
webcaster, every Net Radio listener, and every artist who enjoys and
benefits from this medium.  Please join our fight for the preservation
of Internet radio.