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The RIAA wants you to pay them every time you listen to a song

...or hum it, or think of it or read the title...

OK, maybe it's not that bad, but the Recording Industry Association of America (a.k.a. the RIAA or the Legion of Doom), after having taken out file-sharing, soon to be gone internet radio and the Girl Scouts of America, has now decided that regular broadcast stations should be paying them to play their songs. Yes, although people buy music because they hear them on the radio, the RIAA now wants radio stations to pay up every time they play the song, which, is of course, ridiculous beyond belief. The documentation of each spin alone will drive many lo-tech stations out of business and then the sure-to-be outrageous rates will do in the rest. So, get used to a world without music when the RIAA wants to put a quarter into a box each time you want to hear a song.

Tuesday, May 22, 2007
by Erik Gonzalez

Topics mentioned:

1   imaginary liz said on May 22, 2007

I don't know about the RIAA vs Girl Scouts... what's the scoop there? Did it have something to do with a do-si-do addiction?

2   powerpop-gary said on May 22, 2007

Actually, I think it was ASCAP that was messing with the scounts, not the RIAA. I was an ASCAP member at the time (late 1990s) and got a letter from them about it.

Essentially they wanted the scouts (and any kind of camp) to pay ASCAP royalty fees (like bars and other places do) because they were performing songs around the campfire.

I found an online article about it.

3   imaginarycanary said on May 22, 2007

Here's something else fantastic...
Looks like RCA Records have removed nearly all footage of Black Rebel Motorcylce Club and Kings of Leon off the site due to "copyright claim."
see it for yourself: http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=black+rebel+motorcycle+club&search=Search

The good times they are ahead!!!!

4   imaginary liz said on May 22, 2007

People are insane. Mean and insane.

5   Imaginary-Kiku said on May 22, 2007

They're just allowed to do that? They can just make stations pay? Lets make a petition!

6   Danniel said on May 23, 2007

I think this is one big scheme by bands like Nickelback, Puddle of Mudd, Macy Gray, and Tracy Chapman to get paid every time someone plays their song as a joke...

Anyone up for an UNDERGROUND RADIO/FILE SHARING/GIRL SCOUT COOKIE EATING REVOLUTION?

7   imaginary liz said on May 23, 2007

I'm always down for all of those -- let's snack on cookies and wirelessly transfer songs to each other on our laptops.

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