Brits! Write to your MP to stop sneaky copyright term extension NOW!
On 7 March, a Private Member's Bill proposed by Pete Wishart MP titled Sound Recordings (Copyright Term Extension) Bill 2007-08 will have its second reading in the House of Commons. It is vital that you write to your MP now to ask him or her to attend the Commons on 7 March and stand up and object to this Bill. If you don't the Bill is likely to pass through to committee stage without debate.LinkWhat can you say to persuade your MP to show up to the Commons on a Friday? Perhaps you might point out that all the economic evidence points against term extension. Or that every other UK citizen is expected to contribute to their pension out of income earned in their working life. Or that retrospectively extending copyright term won't encourage Elvis Presley to record any more new tracks. Or that if governments continue to draft intellectual property legislation on behalf of special interest groups, it will only further erode the respect that ordinary citizens have for the letter of the law.
However you choose to pitch it, you should find the Open Rights Group briefing pack on copyright term extension useful. And remember to specifically ask your MP to oppose this Bill on 7 March in the House of Commons. Writing to your MP doesn't take long, and ORG have developed a handy guide to help you get the results you want.
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This will be passed regardless because our government is controlled by businesses which is why you get a longer prison sentence for IP theft than either rape or assault. The gatekeepers need to be stopped but money talks after all and if they can claim rights to ALL music to force indie bands out the picture and be allowed to get away with it, this will be easy for the media lobby.
Is the RIAA Pulling a Scam on the Music Industry?
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/4/24/141326/870
FTA: "The recent U.S. Copyright Office ruling regarding webcasting designated SoundExchange to collect and distribute to all nonmembers as well as its members. The Librarian of Congress issued his decision with rates and terms to govern the compulsory license for webcasters (Internet-only radio) and simulcastors (retransmissions)." (http://soundexchange.com/faq.html#b4)
"SRCOs (sound recording copyright owners) are subject to a compulsory license for the use of their music...SoundExchange was established to administer the collection and distribution of royalties from such compulsory licenses taken by noninteractive streaming services that use satellite, cable or Internet methods of distribution."
(http://soundexchange.com/faq.html#a4)
SoundExchange (the RIAA) considers any digital performance of a song as falling under their compulsory license. If any artist records a song, SoundExchange has the right to collect royalties for its performance on Internet radio. Artists can offer to download their music for free, but they cannot offer their songs to Internet radio for free. (http://soundexchange.com/faq.html#a7)
So how it works is that SoundExchange collects money through compulsory royalties from Webcasters and holds onto the money. If a label or artist wants their share of the money, they must become a member of SoundExchange and pay a fee to collect their royalties (http://soundexchange.com/faq.html#b6). But, and this is a big "but," you only get royalties if you own the sound recording copyright. If you are signed to a major label, chances are you don’t. Even if you do own the copyright to your own recording of your own song, SoundExchange will collect Internet radio royalties for your song even if you don’t want them to do so.
#1, The maximum sentence for rape is 15 years[1] whereas the maximum sentence for IP crime is 10 years[2].
But I agree with your sentiment.
[1] http://www.sentencing-guidelines.gov.uk/docs/rape.pdf
[2] http://www.allianceagainstiptheft.co.uk/downloads/pdf/section_107A_brochure.pdf