<nettime> Napster compulsory licensing request

[t byfield <tbyfield@panix.com>]

cor--not a day passes without bringing YA definitive proof that
the present is the past and the future is now. here we have the
CEO of napster suggesting that the music industry should be sub-
jected to a compulsory licensing regime. he says he's reluctant
to get the gummint involved but of course the essence of such a
regime is a *multiplicity* of governments. and if the USG won't
say yes, then maybe one of those 'pirate' havens *will* say yes;
or maybe just some savvy government that'd like to chip away at
US power--and bump up their revenues while they're at it. after
all, the gap between the current 'official' price and the lower
price under such a regime would leave a LOT of room to sneak in
some taxes while Giving the People What They Want--music on the
cheap. 

i wonder if mr. hilber has any idea what a can of worms he just
opened. i doubt it, but it doesn't really matter, does it?

cheers,
t

----- Forwarded 

From: James Love <love@cptech.org>
Organization: http://www.cptech.org
Subject: [Random-bits] Napster Compulsory Licensing Request
Date: Tue, 30 Oct 2001 14:41:17 -0500

http://www.wired.com/news/mp3/0,1285,47977,00.html

Napster Wants License to License 
By Michael Stroud 

2:00 a.m. Oct. 30, 2001 PST  
      
LOS ANGELES -- Napster CEO Konrad Hilbers says the government should
consider compulsory standards requiring music labels to license music at
a fair price if they don't close deals with Napster and other
independent distributors. 

"Like any other business person, I'm hesitant to bring government in,"
Hilbers said. "But government has an obligation to set standards. If
there's no agreement, the government should consider compulsory
licensing." 

Of course, the government has already gotten involved in digital music
over the last few months. 

The Department of Justice announced it had opened an investigation into
potential anti-trust violations committed by the five major records
labels. The outcome of the government's civil investigation could lead
to the open licensing standards that Hilbers mentioned. 


-- 
James Love
Consumer Project on Technology
P.O. Box 19367, Washington, DC 20036
http://www.cptech.org, mailto:love@cptech.org
voice: 1.202.387.8030 fax 1.202.234.5176 mobile 1.202.361.3040

----- Backwarded

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