EU-wide Music Licensing Policies Published 136
www-xenu-dot-net writes "To stimulate the online music business in Europe,
EU Commissioner Charlie McCreevy is recommending the elimination of territorial restrictions on the licensing and copyright enforcement of online music. Until now, so called licensing collection societies have enjoyed monopolies within their countries. (For online sales, the collecting societies typically charge 12 percent of the retail price today, compared to 9 percent on CDs.) EU Socialist Group leader Martin Schulz has called Mr McCreevy a "loose cannon whose arrogant opinions have provoked anti-EU feeling across Europe." That impression might not change with the new recommendation, as collecting societies in smaller European countries fear that they will lose out to larger rivals, potentially restricting the development of new music."
This is good policy (Score:4, Insightful)
This is good policy, because if the EU is to be taken seriously as a single bloc trading partner, then it must present a standardized set of laws and regulations so that it isn't just a loosely bound bunch of states. By unifying the law under a single EU regulating entity, they effectively present themselves as one country.
While this may hurt certain groups within the borders of the EU, the EU was never supposed to be about individual states or particular companies. It was meant to unify Europe into a large trading bloc that would rival the U.S. in trading and negotiating power.
This is exactly what the EU should be doing.
EU Politics (Score:1, Insightful)
Is the rhetoric usually this colourful in Europe, or is the Socialist just a hipocritical loose cannon?
Hooray for Democracy... (Score:3, Insightful)
(Which, technically, is true)
Why is he a loose cannon? (Score:3, Insightful)
Is this mister whatshisname a loose cannon because he wants to stimulate online music sales? how does that realte to the markup on the retailprice for online music?
Or has is this guy being paid by the collection societies to say such things? Are they desparate not to loose their monopoly?
No money to people in suits != no new music (Score:5, Insightful)
> that they will lose out to larger rivals, potentially
> restricting the development of new music
LOL... "new music" isn't dependent on collection societies. People driven by the desire to make art create 'new music'. Check out Jamendo [jamendo.com] or the podsafe stuff [podsafe.com] or Staccato [staccatomusic.org] for tons of great stuff outside the 'business'.
Re:EU Politics (Score:4, Insightful)
I'm happy that EU commissioners that try to undermine the solidarity between workers get called out.
fear and jealousy (Score:5, Insightful)
Doesn't parse. For all I know, the amount of collected money that goes to new music, i.e. startup bands, young groups, etc. is so small that for all practical purposes you can treat it as being zero.
On the other hand, the amount that stays with the collecting societies to pay for "expanses" and "overhead" is considerable.
Sounds like someone seing his protection racket, uh, sorry, "business model" being washed away, nothing else.
Re:Wow, what a surprise. (Score:5, Insightful)
Right, let's put forward a proposal to abolish the direct appointment of unelected commissioners, increase the importance of the Parliament, and have a directly elected president (as opposed to the joke that the presidency is now, rotating from country to country). Democratise the EU, give the people their say.
Result: popular outcry. Superstate. Federalists. Treason, they're selling out our country! Churchill spinning in grave! Where Hitler Failed They're Succeeding Without A Shot Fired!
The EU is never going to get anywhere this way. At least one country is always going to throw a tantrum if it doesn't get its way, and it'll usually be the same one country. De Gaulle was right from the beginning; for the sake of the union, throw us out, NOW.
What?? (Score:4, Insightful)
The linked articles have nothing to do with the subject of the post.
Come on Slashdot editors, wake up!
HA! (Score:4, Insightful)
"collecting societies in smaller European countries fear that they will lose out to larger rivals, potentially restricting the development of new music"
That's like KFC claiming that they need protection from McDonalds or it might "potentially restrict the development of new food"
Hang on a minute... (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:EU != state/country (Score:2, Insightful)
In the meantime, the differences between member states on scores of issues and the frequency of changing (and changing back!) its rules provides EU citizens with a chaotic system within which we try to conduct our business. I've lived in 3 EU countries and the business/political framework doesn't seem to be making it any easier to work or live across its internal borders. (Quite the contrary!)
Whilst I recognize local identity, history and culture to be of great importance, I have little respect for blind nationalism.
As far as I'm concerned, the sooner people and their elective representatives are happy to recognise that a single state is a_good_idea_, the better. Maybe then, European law can be written for the benefit of Europe rather than trying to benefit individual member states at the expense of others.
Re:Fact about SIAE... (Score:2, Insightful)
You must be new here! Welcome to ... umm ... ok, old joke.
But it is possible to love your native country while recognizing its flaws, and even try to help fix those flaws after you feel you have to leave.