Take action! against recent copyright ruling

[Rick and Roll]

Originally Posted by kirk

I guess you haven't heard-
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/s...toryId=5411449

That bed could use an electric blanket!

The owner of RadioParadise ('you think Jim has problems!)
made a statement this week that under the new plan,
he'd owe $650,000 next year...!
As the new law is retroactive to Jan.'06, he's
likely looking at "grab yer ankles and grin" time.

Pees

K

I find it difficult to imagine a retraoctive law being enforcable when there was no willful malice.

[VAXman(Admin)]

Originally Posted by Rick and Roll

I find it difficult to imagine a retraoctive law being enforcable when there was no willful malice.

I've been reading and rereading Title 17 and, specifically, the sections which apply to these "royalties". A law is not enforceable ex post facto. This is not technically a law; it is that the LoC CRB granted an increase of fees already being collected. It may be that since the RIAA petitioned the LoC CRB and it took 2 years of their (the RIAA's) coercion of the LoC CRB to get their way, these fees may actually be applicable retroactively.

Gawd I hate lawyers. What is needed is a class legal action by all of the internet radio stations to get this nonsense put to bed. Sadly, it would require a really good IP lawyer(s) to squash this. I'd wager that if everyone who enjoys listening to internet radio coughed up $10 for the stream they are using, the collected amount might be enough to retain such legal representation. I'd caution against this because lawyering is about 2 things and 2 things only: greed and money. Once retained, these lawyers would drag this on ad infinitum -- if they could -- but the money on "our" side would be quickly depleted and we'd all be back in the same proverbial fecal infested waterway without a handheld propelling implement.

Trust me on this. I spent 3.5 years in US Federal Court (Fed. Justice Garrett E. Brown). When everybody's pockets were emptied, the parties went off feeling ill-used and the lawyers well funded. Judge G.E.B. remained the fuckwit he always was.

[Rick and Roll]

Originally Posted by VAXman

I've been reading and rereading Title 17 and, specifically, the sections which apply to these "royalties". A law is not enforceable ex post facto. This is not technically a law; it is that the LoC CRB granted an increase of fees already being collected. It may be that since the RIAA petitioned the LoC CRB and it took 2 years of their (the RIAA's) coercion of the LoC CRB to get their way, these fees may actually be applicable retroactively.

Gawd I hate lawyers. What is needed is a class legal action by all of the internet radio stations to get this nonsense put to bed. Sadly, it would require a really good IP lawyer(s) to squash this. I'd wager that if everyone who enjoys listening to internet radio coughed up $10 for the stream they are using, the collected amount might be enough to retain such legal representation. I'd caution against this because lawyering is about 2 things and 2 things only: greed and money. Once retained, these lawyers would drag this on ad infinitum -- if they could -- but the money on "our" side would be quickly depleted and we'd all be back in the same proverbial fecal infested waterway without a handheld propelling implement.

Trust me on this. I spent 3.5 years in US Federal Court (Fed. Justice Garrett E. Brown). When everybody's pockets were emptied, the parties went off feeling ill-used and the lawyers well funded. Judge G.E.B. remained the fuckwit he always was.

Agreed, vax but isn't there two levels at play here? For dinky little outfits like us, we don't receive any profit, just donations to cover costs. If the ruling goes through, I guess we'll just stop what we do and only play independents. But certainly there'd be no retroactive "damages" against us.

I'd rather just react and adapt, and not pay any money for representation also, but for a different reason. There are a few lawyers that will take a case like this on its merits. But it wouldn't be worth my time and effort if it cost me money without the guarantee of results. It isn't worth my time to stress over.

[lotus]

This link could help to spread the movement against RIAA

http://www.savethestreams.org/

[PFD]

Another relevant article, if you haven't seen it yet...

http://technology.canoe.ca/Internet/...034315-ap.html