This is just stupid and I hope it dies in one of the committee hearings before ever hitting the floor of the House and/or Senate. Just another example of strong arming from the record industry exec types.

Since my show is mostly about the Music Industry, I've found most of the exec types I've been working with to be reasonable. They just want to get their product out there. But the big dollar folks are another game. And they think they own the joint and have the money to pay the power of lawyers behind them.

But it's up to us Podcasters to speak out! PLEASE Contact your Congress person or Senators about this. Since I live in the District of Columbia and we are treated as second class citizens without representatives with voting rights in the House or Senate, I'm counting on you all to stand up for me.

It's just stupid that the citizens of the District of Columbia don't have equal representation in Congress, but that's because were 97% Registered Democrats and only a city instead of a state. If they recognized us, the Senate would get 2 more democratic seats and they would have to give full voting rights to our Democrat elected representative in the House (instead of just having her in place as a figure head who can't vote on anything, but makes us feel good like we have representation when we go to vote).

As long as the DRM technology is easy to 'coat' a podcast in, I am totally for it.

I am waiting for SOCAN, our version of ASCAP in Canada, to move it's butt so I can pay cheap license fees, such as I did with community radio, and then compensate any artists I might use through that agency's royalty payment system, properly and professionally.

Right now, Canadian internet radio stations can play entire music shows wihout paying fees or royalties because internet use of music is not covered or compensated by our out-dated music copyright payment system and the laws around it. So how are musicians currently being compensated for all that netplay? They are not. It is the same situation that musicians were in with MuchMusic video for ten years - play for promo only; no royalties.

Further, it is and has been a bit of a hassle for us to get the permissions that we have from individual artists. Having a license fee makes all that easy. Once you get the license you log the songs you use each month and send them to SOCAN and they pay the artists both here and via their partner international music agencies like ASCAPs and BMIs. It would save a lot of email and phone time for me.

Another reason I am all for this idea both in the USA and here in Canada is that as well as being a podcaster/netcaster; I am a musician. It may cost me some money as a netcaster to pay license fees in future but so be it - musicians should get paid for their art.

Any licensing system that makes it more convenient for me to create the most dynamic podcasts/netshows that I can, along with also ensuring payment an protection of the music artists I might want to use; is ALL GOOD.

It will be nice to see the day when US podcasters can spice up their shows with more tunes in between and under their talk talk without fear of being sued or haggling about what exactly is fair use. The use of such music and art will raise the interest, emotional poignancy, and entertainment value of podcasts.

Now if your American politicians could only concentrate get your yankie asses out of Iraq and more of your boys back to Afghanistan where the terrorists really are - it would truly be a better world :)

Stephen Emery
Beyond the Ghetto producers
www.radiogay.ca

I fail to see why this should affect us. Most of us use CC-licensed music in our podcasts. Depending upon the exact CC license, the rights owner has given up the right to limit the number of copies that end up beind distributed electronically. For that matter, our own podcasts are typically offered under a CC license as well, so we understand (and encourage) a theoretically infinite amount of distribution of our episodes. How will the RIAA actually be able to control something over which we have released control?

Stay Powerful!

David Byrd, aka That Blue Jeans Guy

http://thatbluejeansguy.libsyn.com

206-339-8915

Well it's totally retarded, we, as the creator/s of the media we put out, should be allowed and able to choose whether we want to DRM our shit, and the answer would probably be a resounding NO!! What's next? Barcoded Turds, so they can log your logs?!

Podshow's Only UK Gay Boi!
http://twinkle.podshow.com

wouldn't surprise me to see us invade the UK next ...lol

This is just another fine example of CONTROL FREAKS at work!

And the recording industry freaking out and acting like they are not even making a dime off the music anymore...whatever...the lobbyist are at work!

AJ

Why do they have to stick there fucking noses in everything?!

Do you know if this will effect the UK too?


Podshow's Only UK Gay Boi!
http://twinkle.podshow.com