Webcasting royalty plan rejected

["Tony Abruzzese" <abruzzese@biochem.bumc.bu.edu>]

I received this tid bit courtesy of the Edupage news digest.

<snip>...
REGULATORS REJECT WEBCASTING FEE
On Tuesday James H. Billington, the Librarian of Congress, rejected a
proposal by the Copyright Arbitration Royalty Panel (CARP) to charge
Web radio stations a royalty fee for songs they play. The decision was
announced without explanation, and it is not clear what action
Billington will take. He has until June 20 to issue a recommendation.
Small Web radio stations, including many college and other nonprofit
stations, had complained that CARP's proposal would put them out of
business because the rate, $.0014 per song played, was too high. The
Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) had sought a royalty
rate higher than the one CARP proposed. According to Cary Sherman,
president of RIAA, the group remains optimistic that royalties will be
implemented for Web radio.
Newsbytes, 21 May 2002
http://www.newsbytes.com/news/02/176700.html

*********************************************************************
Tony Abruzzese                  e-mail: abruzzese@biochem.bumc.bu.edu
Network Administrator                         Biochemistry Department
              Boston University School of Medicine
Telephone:617.638.5092                               Fax:617.638.5339
*********************************************************************