I can't wait till all these german users are outraged by this event. Hopefully there will be some sense knocked into GEMA.

Hell, I still can't understand why they are making them pay money per time music video is played. If anything the label or artist should sell them the video and let them play it all they want. They are just trying to get paid from someone else's hard work. (like the guys who had the creativity to make youtube)

I hope other countries don't pay then we could start a worldwide YouTube boycott.

Originally posted by kikzm33z:

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I hope other countries don't pay then we could start a worldwide YouTube boycott.

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Why? Youtube is right.
It would be foolish to allow someone to essentially extort money from you.

Well if GOOGLE is saying that the royalty fees are HUGE..then to the rest of us..that means "F'ing HUGE!. A LOT of money. It baffles me why the riaa (or whatever the german equivalent is) are STILL clinging to whatever residue exists on the old business model of doing things.

That said, anyone see the news yesterday where a UK woman was hassled by the record companies for playing classical music to soothe her horses??

Insanity.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopi...et-licence.html

The Internet has changed so much in so little time. Yes, many new features are wonderful with better apps and speed, and high quality media.

But one thing is for sure. Innovation is going our the window. The same dull, big companies are trying to take over the Internet and do with it what they did with television and radio. They want to control it all. And the sad thing is that government is allowing it.

It would have been one thing if these companies had created these sites initially and developed the technology. No, creative individuals did so. They found a new market and made it available to everyone.

Now these scumbag companies are coming in and claiming what others made. And the law is allowing them. Copyrights, patents, trademarks, they all need to be reformed. If you aren't using it, someone else should be able to. Then you should not be able to come in and take over their work.

Dame you Rick Astley, its all your fault.

i thought you were never gonna give me up, never gonna let me down, never gonna run around and Dessert me , never gonna make me cry, Never gonna say goodbye, never gonna tell a lie and hurt me.

kikzm33z i think the youtube block is what they are aiming to achieve, courporations stating that huge fees are required for said thing, isn't this how they destroy the competition! i bet the few courporations that control the media are loving being able to dictate to youtube at last, leaving them "EMI, Sony BMG, Universal Group, Warner Group" in control of the distribution!


the record companies continue the assault on everyone, from web streamers playing indie bands which now have to pay mandatory royalties to the riaa even if they are not affiliated with the riaa just to destroy the competition, to the artists themselves whome get paid a pitance and lose the rights to their own works.

the few courporations that control 99% of the acts making it famous due to payola deals are acting like the proverbial little dutch boy with his figure in the dyke!

Oh how they lie, BTW the BPI are: "EMI, Sony BMG, Universal Group, Warner Group"

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/04/03/pop_copyright/

Quote:

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Radiohead and chums demand copyright 'fair play'

3rd April 2009


The European Commission and European Parliament are debating proposals to extend the period of protection for sound recordings from 50 years to 95 years. The Featured Artists' Coalition (FAC) says that once 50 years have passed copyright should automatically transfer from record labels to artists.


The FAC has formulated a set of policies on copyright and intellectual property that is different to that of more traditional music industry lobbying groups which have usually represented the rights of record labels rather than artists.


"The digital revolution has swept away the old music business of the 1960s, and changed forever the relationship between artists and fans," said Rowntree. "For companies who made their living sitting between the two, these are increasingly hard times, but for music makers and music fans this should be a fantastic opportunity."



A committee of the European Parliament last week reaffirmed its commitment to the extension of copyright protection in sound recordings to 95 years.

"To ensure that performers fully enjoy the additional royalties deriving from copyright extension, the committee amended the original text so as to prevent the use of previous contractual agreements to deduct money from the additional royalties," it said.

But another wing of EU government last week blocked the extension. The Committee of Permanent Representatives (COREPER) of the Council of Ministers did not give the plan its backing.



The FAC said that any extension of existing rights would act against the interests of artists and would only benefit record companies.

"Record companies would simply gain another 45 years of ownership, entrenching the terms of record contracts signed in an analogue age," the FAC statement said.

A group of recording industry bodies including the Musicians' Union and record label lobby group the British Phonographic Industries (BPI) said that they were unhappy with the vote.

“The British music sector is very disappointed by the absence of agreement on an extension for performers and sound recording rights at the COREPER meeting today, and particularly that our own government, despite its recent positive statements, did not vote in favour of the proposal at this meeting," a joint statement said.

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So it seems that GEMA is every bit as bad as RIAA here in the US, not surprisingly I guess. I was looking at music from the 50’s Top/Hot 100 hits and trivia for my parents 50th and Billboard wants $300 annually which would allow me to browse their site. I found a couple of 50’s era CD’s and most cost around $17 each a few around $9, how ridicules for music that has been paid for many times over and is far from popular today. And they wonder why people pirate, these regulatory bodies have gotten way out of hand and need to be abolished.

yet another reason why country-specific licensing should die. its a global network, so get with the show already!

Damn, and I thought that music vids were commercials. Hahah. Don't get me wrong I know they can be creative...but advertisements nonetheless. Promotional material. LOL.

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