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Senate Passes Webcaster Settlement Act of 2009

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on June 18, 2009 - 8:18am.
Washington - The U.S. Senate has passed the Webcaster Settlement Act of 2009, which if signed by President Obama will allow webcasters to continue to negotiate the controversial royalty rates set by the Copyright Royalty Board with rights holders. The bill was sponsored by Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kan.); a companion bill passed in the House earlier this month.

"The Webcaster Settlement Act provides webcasters an opportunity to negotiate financial relief from the Copyright Royalty Board's 2007 Internet radio royalty decision," said Jonathan Potter, executive director of the Digital Media Association (DiMA), which has represented larger webcasters in royalty negotiations.

"Hopefully, as Congress continues to focus more broadly on sound recording performance rights legislation, more comprehensive legislation will soon level the regulatory playing field for all forms of digital radio."

Many webcasters decried the rates set by the Copyright Royalty Board as prohibitively high to continue their streaming music businesses.

 

Related Links:
http://snipurl.com/kdzhq (PDF of DiMA statement)

http://snipurl.com/kdzfb (DMW previous coverage)

Published in DMW Daily, June 18, 2009
tags: Law | Policy | Music | Copyright | DiMA | SoundExchange | CRB | Webcaster Settlement Act of 2009 |



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