[VAXman(Admin)]

Originally Posted by Cozy

I'm not fond of the tone of the letter. Many of the comments referring to people's tastes in music imply that those who enjoy music they can hear on the radio are the 'dumbed down'. That kind of tone is snobbish, and not something very prudent to state especially when considering the person you're writing to just might be one of the 'dumbed down'. In addition, there are a few shots towards larger corporations. I understand the desire to insert this kind of emotion and 'color' in a letter such as this, but I think it distracts too much from the point, which is the desire to keep independent internet radio stations such as this one running, and free of charge.

Regardless of the size of the corporations and entities we're referring to, labels, publishing companies, and artists have a right to make money off of the work that is recorded, issued and distributed around the world. Personally, I think this is the wrong way of going about doing business, but I suppose I do understand the desire to collect fees for what is essentially an 'unsanctioned broadcasting' of material they have the rights to.

Anyway, I hope this doesn't affect small stations like the Moon, but if does, I'm sure there will be a template or model of how to deal with it as there are thousands of internet radio stations in the same boat. And the corporations would be foolish to let those all disappear.

However, the artists are not the ones receiving the lion's share of these new fees.

The RIAA has gone after people sharing music illegally. None of the monies received in "punitive" damages has made its way to the pockets of the artists; I'll refrain from comments on the pockets of the lawyers which prosecuted those cases and claims.