RIAA Submits Concerns Over XM-Sirius Merger to FCC

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on July 10, 2007 - 1:54pm.

Washington - The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) has urged the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to keep its concerns about potential copyright infringement issues in mind as it considers the proposed merger of satellite radio firms XM and Sirius, CNET News.com reported.

The RIAA has already filed suit against XM, over a feature in certain radios that allows users to record and store individual songs.

In comments filed with the agency on Monday, the RIAA asked the FCC to "make clear that its approval of a merger is conditioned upon the continued protection of sound recordings from unlawful infringement."

In addition, the RIAA lobbied the FCC to hike royalty rates paid by the satcasters, arguing that as established companies they should no longer qualify for "below-market rates."

The FCC's public comment period on the XM-Sirius merger ended on Monday, with more than 5,000 weighing in with their thoughts.

http://techconfidential.thedealblogs.com/2007/07/xm_satellite_radiosirius_deal.php

http://www.xmradio.com

http://www.siriusradio.com

Published in DMW Daily, July 10, 2007

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Comments

Sirius / XM Merger

Submitted by Georgia Dawg (not verified) on July 10, 2007 - 11:01pm.

I'm a subscriber to Sirius and would defiantly like to see the merger go through. I sure don't think that any higher royalty rates should be paid out to the RIAA. Maybe they need to find there selves a better JOB and get off there a$$eS and work like most Americans have had to work for years - which means - getting out of there air condition offices and "sweat" a little to make there living. Another question. Who keeps check on the RIAA? I find it very disturbing that there is no competition against them (RIAA) – doesn’t in fact make them a monopoly? Yet I have more questions than I do answers. Where does and to whom does – the money that they (RIAA) collect from persons and families that they’ve sued in court and as Mafia squeezed monies out of unjustly? How much monies actually go to the artists? Yet… How much goes into the (RIAA’s) pockets?

Wow The Guy ahead of me is

Submitted by anonymous (not verified) on July 11, 2007 - 8:56am.

Wow The Guy ahead of me is very harsh to the people of Satellite radio, If it wernt for thoes people, satellite radio wouldn't be anything... I don't want a merger and hope to work in that air condition Xm office someday :)

The RIAA is an outdated

Submitted by anonymous (not verified) on February 1, 2008 - 10:39am.

The RIAA is an outdated organization that represents nothing but itself. I bet that barely 5% of the money they collect even goes to recording artists, most is probably used to line the pockets of Cary Sherman, who has the brain of a moron.