ASCAP Attempts to Out-Crazy RIAA
All the attention the RIAA has been getting over the past few days over the $1.92M verdict they won against Jammie Thomas - the woman who single handedly cost, um, the RIAA (?) nearly $2M when someone shared 24 songs on her computer - hasn't gone unnoticed by ASCAP. I can only assume they've been feeling a little jealous. After all, they tried to charge Girl Scouts for campfire sing-a-longs (oh yes, really) - just what does a company have to do to win the crown for most dastardly music industry entity anyway? Sheesh.
ASCAP is not taking this lying down. What are they doing? Well, they're claiming that you need a performance license if you download a ringtone for your phone and anyone else hears it. Erm, what? Their thinking is that every time that ringtone plays in public, you have hosted a mini public performance of said track, and all without paying a royalty to ASCAP. Don't worry, they're going after your phone service providers for providing you with the ringtones, not you. Yet. Of course, royalties are already paid on ringtones, but ASCAP has helpfully decided to step in and demand payment of another royalty - no doubt in the name of the musicians they represent, who no doubt wish ASCAP would stop using them to money grub.
This stuff kills me. So much media space and debate is devoted to the death of the record label, blah blah blah - I say if you are really concerned about what is happening in the music industry, demand that these utterly ineffective, ridiculous bullies like the RIAA and ASCAP step aside and let real progress happen. Who wants this? What ASCAP registered musician wants this done in their name? What RIAA member thinks that that affiliation is good for business? Record labels carry so much blame for standing in the way of musicians embracing the internet - and many of them have reacted slowly and badly to new technology. But publishers, the RIAA and others of their ilk are major, major culprits - likely bigger than the labels - because they refuse to negotiate royalty rates for the internet that are appropriate for the medium. Let's start pointing fingers at the right people.
Anyway, well played, ASCAP. I can hardly wait to see what the RIAA does to try and top this. Of course, let's not count out the UK's PRS, who recently demanded that a woman gets a public performance license for the classical music she plays for her horses. Oh yes, people, we've got a problem here.
Get more info on the ASCAP case here.
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