Proposed change would include noncommercial broadcasters among “Eligible Minimum Fee Webcasters.” It looks like noncommercial broadcasters who stream may be in for a little more clarity in their reporting responsibilities. The Copyright Royalty Judges (we’ll call them “Judges” here) have proposed to modify the rules governing how those broadcasters are supposed to report the sound … Continue Reading
A bill recently introduced in the Senate would expand the definition of criminal copyright infringement to include unauthorized online streaming.… Continue Reading
The White House Coordinator on U.S. Intellectual Property Enforcement has issued a white paper urging that:(1) illegal streaming should be made a felony; and (2) a performance rights measure should be enacted.… Continue Reading
The NAB has endorsed a "Term Sheet" which would establish the existence of a "performance right" requiring radio licensees to pay royalties to musical artists. I have a gut feeling of inevitability -- but my real questions involve "when" and "how much".… Continue Reading
Before the chatter gets out of hand, it might be useful to clarify what we know and what we don't know about reports that the NAB may be moving toward some negotiated settlement on the performance rights front.… Continue Reading
We wrote a couple weeks ago about a patent infringement lawsuit filed against several major radio broadcasters for their unauthorized use of software that allows them to replace over-the-air advertisements with webcast-specific ads. Here's an interesting take on the same case by Jerry Del Colliano.… Continue Reading
Radio stations that stream their content onto the Internet will want to keep an eye on a patent lawsuit accusing several major radio companies of patent infringement. The defendants allegedly substituted Internet-friendly content in place of more locally-oriented content that went out over the air, using methods for which the plaintiff supposedly holds a patent.… Continue Reading
