On June 27th we reported that there is a possibility that we will not be able to enjoy free audio streams in SL and that a lot of them might be forced to quit their activities (read full article here).
The American Copyright Royalty Board, aka SoundExchange published their plans to impose huge costs to audiostreams on the internet (streaming radio stations) and according to SaveNetRadio, an organization that fights these absurd plans, this would mean the end of the majority of radio stations. In June a lot of internet radio stations (including some well-known) went silent for a day, to protest. And huge numbers of fans, listeners, radio station employees and whatnot sent protest letters and emails to the American Congress to rule against the plans.
Today, before Congress actually made a ruling about this, SoundExchange changed their plans. No longer will radio stations be prone to an unlimited amount of royalties they have to pay. This is maximized at US$ 50,000 (a staggering L$ 1.3 million).
However, stations who want to apply this maximum amount will have to use the very controversial DRM copy/ripping protection to their streams. DRM has the goal to prevent people from recording from broadcasts, and is already under attack for the unreasonable limitations which it brings to consumers. Not only does it make legal recording for own personal use impossible, it also is a system that is very buggy on Linux and Apple computers.
Yesterday it was the date that the new rules would apply and law suits are bound to happen about this subject. In the meantime it is hard for the smaller radio stations to comply to the new rules, especially since the SoundExchange organization has not withdrawn their intention to charge stations backwards to January 1st of last year (2006).
In short, the American Congress has had to endure a lot of pressure from hundreds of thousands of people and in their turn has put pressure on SoundExchange to change the plans. They have done so, but not in a way that it will prevent radio stations from becoming too expensive to keep broadcasting.
Will we have to play our own illegally downloaded MP3's soon? Or will there be pirate/rogue radio stations with their own underground scene? Or will we actually have to use Voice to beat the deafening silence in SL? We will continue to watch the developments in this matter closely.
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