Monday, March 26, 2007

Copyright board may cripple Internet radio

TechNews World reports:
"Several radio broadcasters and online media companies are challenging a ruling this week that sets a higher royalty fee structure for music played over the Internet.

After nearly two years of hearing arguments from some of the country's biggest radio companies, the Copyright Royalty Board (CRB), a body created by Congress to settle royalty disputes in the music industry, has decided on a higher fee structure for Web-based music broadcasts.

The ruling, which went into effect on March 5, has increased the amount of royalties that online music broadcasters must pay record labels and performers, a possibly crippling blow to many Webcasters and Internet radio stations."