Here's the SoundExchange press release:
http:
//www.soundexchange.com/documents/07_13_07%20SoundExchange%20Confirms%20Minimum%20Fee.pdf

And analysis from Ars Technica:
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20070715-net-radio-compromise-hinged-on-drm-adoption.html

> After news of the temporary compromise broke, SoundExchange eventually
> distributed a press release (PDF) that characterized its compromise
> offer. It speaks for itself ...
> 
> "SoundExchange has offered to cap the $500 per channel minimum fee at
> $50,000 per year for webcasters who agree to provide more detailed
> reporting of the music that they play and work to stop users from
> engaging in 'streamripping'—turning Internet radio performances into a
> digital music library," reads the statement.
> 
> A source at a major MP3-based Internet radio station who did not want
> to be named told Ars Technica that this is not the first time that
> SoundExchange has expressed interest in seeing streaming media locked
> down with DRM, but this is the first time it has been laid down on the
> table as absolutely necessary to any compromise that would deviate from
> the royalty agreement already approved by the Copyright Board.
> 
> The source also tells me that DRM is the only plausible "tool" at the
> disposal of webcasters to accomplish SoundExchange's goal of working to
> stop music "streamripping."

Since Slim Devices clients don't play DRM-encumbered music, this deal
could not only cripple smaller webcasters (they'd have to incur the
costs of wrapping streams in DRM), but could make even big players'
content inaccessible to us. Bye, bye, Pandora on Squeezebox? Bye, bye,
regular MP3 streams???

-Peter


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