Pandora’s Digital Box

Well, this is a move unlikely to reduce the lively debate surrounding artists and tech company pay-outs for digital services- Amazon, Google and Pandora have all joined forces in the US to launch a coalition to oppose efforts from musicians, publishers and record labels to raise digital royalty rates from online services. And The Gen thought that the coalition governing the UK for the last four years had done some damage but this sounds like an all-star gathering of bastards.

The coalition, which also includes AM and FM radio broadcasters, digital distributors and restaurants, issued a statement saying: “The next 24 months are pivotal for music, with big decisions coming from the Department for Justice, the Copyright Royalty Board and Congress that will have the potential to determine how and where music is played and what costs consumers and users will bear”.

Commenting on the Coalition’s formation, President of the National Music Publishers Association David Israelite countered: “Streaming giants like Pandora have long exploited these archaic regulations to use songwriters’ work while paying them almost nothing. Sadly, it’s no surprise that they are joining other tech and streaming giants to fight the songwriters and artists who made them”.

There is currently a review by the 114th Congress and the Copyright Office of US copyright law. One of the measures The Department of Justice is apparently considering is allowing US publishers to withdraw partial rights from blanket licenses with performing rights societies, whilst still using them as facilities for administering payments.