The popular online radio service Pandora is aiming to ride the same
wave of Internet activism that sank the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) in
its push for changes to the music royalty system.
Pandora is trying to mobilize its more than 150 million listeners behind the Internet Radio Fairness Act, a bill that would lower the royalty fees paid by online radio stations for playing a song.
The bill —introduced last week by Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Reps. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) and Jared Polis (D-Colo.) — proposes putting Internet radio on the same royalty-setting standard as cable and satellite radio providers such as SiriusXM.
Pandora argues the bill would level the playing field among radio platforms and is urging listeners to contact their local representatives about supporting it.
The music industry, however, strongly opposes the legislation and says Pandora is trying to renege on a royalty agreement from 2009 because it is now a public company that has to answer to shareholders about disappointing revenue.
The surge of activity comes as the House Judiciary Committee is considering holding a hearing in November to examine music licensing issues and the royalty bill, according to two people familiar with the matter.
In its lobbying effort, Pandora is mirroring the tactics used by Web companies during the fight against SOPA and another online piracy bill, the Protect IP Act (PIPA). Reddit and Wikipedia blacked out their sites on Jan. 18 to protest SOPA and PIPA, while Google blocked out its iconic logo on the search engine site.
Read more: http://thehill.com/blogs/hillicon-valley/technology/258881-pandora-aims-for-sopa-repeat-in-battle-over-online-music-royalties
Pandora is trying to mobilize its more than 150 million listeners behind the Internet Radio Fairness Act, a bill that would lower the royalty fees paid by online radio stations for playing a song.
The bill —introduced last week by Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Reps. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) and Jared Polis (D-Colo.) — proposes putting Internet radio on the same royalty-setting standard as cable and satellite radio providers such as SiriusXM.
Pandora argues the bill would level the playing field among radio platforms and is urging listeners to contact their local representatives about supporting it.
The music industry, however, strongly opposes the legislation and says Pandora is trying to renege on a royalty agreement from 2009 because it is now a public company that has to answer to shareholders about disappointing revenue.
The surge of activity comes as the House Judiciary Committee is considering holding a hearing in November to examine music licensing issues and the royalty bill, according to two people familiar with the matter.
In its lobbying effort, Pandora is mirroring the tactics used by Web companies during the fight against SOPA and another online piracy bill, the Protect IP Act (PIPA). Reddit and Wikipedia blacked out their sites on Jan. 18 to protest SOPA and PIPA, while Google blocked out its iconic logo on the search engine site.
Read more: http://thehill.com/blogs/hillicon-valley/technology/258881-pandora-aims-for-sopa-repeat-in-battle-over-online-music-royalties
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