Let's Hope They Get It Right This Time

I have my fingers crossed that the royalties issue will be reversed to help the webcast community grow. Let's hope this happens with a second chance

Webcasters are getting a second chance to make their case against the decision to raise royalty fees of Internet radio services.

Chief Copyright Royalty Judge James Scott Sledge issued a one-paragraph order Tuesday (March 20), granting a rehearing to the groups protesting the Copyright Royalty Board's (CRB) decision to spike rates.

The parties who filed motions for rehearing - including Royalty Logic, Inc, Radio Braodcasters, the Digital Media Association, National Public Radio and SoundExchange – have until April 2 to file written arguments that lay-out their positions.

The CRB will revisit its decision March 6 setting performance royalty rates for streaming sound recordings over the Internet. NPR's VP communications, Andi Sporkin, claims that the new rates are at least 20 times more than the amounts stations were paying in the past.

Come on CRB, don't kill the golden goose. Webcasting can be part of our future, but only if we want it to. Now, do we want it to...?

Technorati Tags: CRB, webcaastingroyalties, NPR