Get Better Gear!

Premier Sponsors

TechRestore

Other World Computing

Top 5 Free Apps

Release Date: August 05, 2009
Genre: Games
Release Date: May 22, 2009
Genre: Games
Release Date: August 29, 2009
Genre: Games
Release Date: March 27, 2009
Release Date: August 07, 2009

iTunes New Music Releases

Release Date: September 29, 2009
Genre: Rock
Release Date: September 20, 2009
Release Date: September 15, 2009
Release Date: August 25, 2009
Genre: Rock
Release Date: August 25, 2009

Top 5 Paid Apps

Release Date: April 22, 2009
StickWars $0.99
Release Date: March 31, 2009
Genre: Games
Bloons $0.99
Release Date: April 05, 2009
Genre: Games

Discover New Music

  • Cocked & Loaded

    • 8 out of 10
    • Revolting Cocks
    • It's hard to believe it's been more than a decade since Ministry founder and front man Al Jourgensen's side project Revolting Cocks released any new material. 2006 brings us Cocked and Loaded

  • Velocifero

    • 6 out of 10
    • Ladytron
    • "Back to the future" isn't the right turn of phrase for Ladytron's newest album,

  • Go Away White

    • 10 out of 10
    • Bauhaus
    • Go Away White is an album I've been waiting more than 20 years to hear, and the good news is that it was worth the wait.  The latest -- and last, no...for real this time -- album from

  • So Jealous

    • 8 out of 10
    • Tegan and Sara
    • So Jealous is the third album from these sisters, and easily the one to single out for an introduction to their music. Some people may not get on board with their vocal styles, which are slightly

  • One Word Extinguisher

    • 8 out of 10
    • Prefuse 73
    • It's an album about a breakup, done with beats instead of mopey lyrics. But the beats are raw, and the emotions are there, even if there aren't many words on top of it. While possibly not Scott Herren

Reader Specials

Visit Deals On The Web for the best deals on all consumer electronics, iPods, and more!

News

House of Rep. Passes Webcaster Settlement Act

After a furor of complaints from Pandora users and concession by the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), the U.S. House of Representatives has unanimously passed the Webcaster Settlement Act. It paves the way for private agreements with SoundExchange on music royalty rates and exemption from the Copyright Board mandatory rules that would have put many Internet radios stations, including Pandora, out of business.

No opposition is predicted in the Senate where the bill has now arrived.

The issue came to a head recently when Tim Westergren, Pandora’s founder, told his customers that he was close to pulling the plug on Pandora due to onerous royalty rates that would have been imposed by the U.S. Congress Copyright Board.

Internet radio stations had been paying $0.08 per song, but the Copyright Board had ordered that that amount rise to $0.19 by 2010. That would have put Pandora and others out of business.

The NAB has previously opposed the legislation, but relented after meeting with Rep. Howard Berman (D-Calif.) that led to pushing back a deadline that would then allow the NAB organizations time to competitively reach similar royalty agreements.

"This is a truly historic moment for Internet radio and its listeners," said the bill’s author, Representative Jay Inslee (D-Wash.) of the Energy and Commerce Committee. "There may now be a light at the end of the tunnel in the fight over Internet radio royalties."

After the Senate passes the bill and signature by the president, private royalty negotiations can resume, and Pandora along with other Internet radio stations look to have a considerably brighter future.

Post Your Comments

  Remember Me  Forgot your password?

Not a member? Register now. You can post comments without logging in, but they'll show up as a "guest" post.

Commenting is not available in this section entry.