Senators pushing for more limitations on internet / satellite radio recording

It seems that satellite radio just can't catch a break, as the RIAA and its indirect constituents apparently have a perpetual target set on crippling services associated with recording content. Yet again satellite radio (along with internet radio) is under fire, and this time a number of senators are pushing "rules embedded in a copyright bill, called the Platform Equality and Remedies for Rights Holders in Music Act," which could "restrict listeners' ability to record and play back individual songs." Furthermore, the act calls for streams to be laced with "reasonably available copy-protection" so that timeshifting material becomes next to impossible (and illegal, too), and that portable recording devices such as the much-debated XM Inno and Sirius S50 would no longer allow "automatic recording." The reasoning stems from a belief that satellite / internet radio should still be a "passive experience," presumably forcing us to look backwards rather than forward in radio technologies, and proponents of the agenda somehow insinuate that enforcing these rules will curb "music theft." Unsurprisingly, the RIAA "applauded the effort and urged Congress to make passing the legislation a top priority this year," while most everyone else on the planet (including spokespersons for XM and the Home Recording Rights Coalition) is balking at what would potentially make satellite / internet radio less accessible to desiring consumers. While we've no idea how quickly action will be taken on these newly surfaced guidelines, we can all rest assured that our representatives will devote every waking hour to this here issue until it's finalized and implemented, at least if the RIAA has anything to do with it.

[Dave @ Jan 15th 2007 11:41AM]

When did it become the number one job of politicians in this country to pass laws to protect corporate interests? Why am I paying taxes to pay politicians to defend failing business models?

[steedums @ Jan 15th 2007 11:54AM]

because they get more corporate campaign donations than personal campaign donations. sad sad sad

[Nobuyuki Idei @ Jan 16th 2007 1:10PM]

Not true. They actually get more in individual contributions, but each individual has much less leverage.

[Charles R Hamilton @ Jan 15th 2007 11:57AM]

I wonder if the Senators in question made this list? http://www.theonion.com/content/node/45071

[Andy @ Jan 15th 2007 12:01PM]

Will it ever end?!?!

I love how RIAA likes to talk all this shit and sue people left and right and have stupid laws imposed without ever actually thinking about the affects outside of "protecting" musicians rights.

The fact is, they don't even care about the musicians, they only care about the big record labels. I would be willing to put a year's salary on the fact that 90% of artists just want their music out there and are against the RIAA. Most record labels are against the RIAA, with the exceptions only being the big name labels.

And what about people like me who volunteer at a community radio station? I use Winamp's StreamRipper to record every one of my shows so that I can listen to them later and find out what needs to be improved. And improving my radio show gets more people to listen and ultimately more people HEARING the music. Did it mention that I do an entirely NEW music radio show? So having people actually listen to my radio show because it's well put together exposes the new music to people so that they can actually go out and buy it.

WHAT A CONCEPT!!!

The bottom line is, RIAA has proven that they are completely incapable of thinking about anything beyond a simple action A causes response A. The world is not that simple and a simple action has many responses and each of those responses trigger other responses and so on.

[Ari @ Jan 15th 2007 12:08PM]

Thanks for bringing this asinine bill to our attention, but you should switch that picture up.

I got pretty angry seeing my senator up there until I realized that it was just a generic photo of "congress".

-Ari

[Robert @ Jan 15th 2007 12:09PM]

democrats...

[Rick Lyon @ Jan 15th 2007 12:31PM]

If republicans had their way you'd be listening to sermons everyday so wise up.

[I, Robot @ Jan 15th 2007 10:14PM]

Yes… There’s an idiot Republican Presented in office, morons in the House and the Senate, and this situation is ALL the democrats fault. Please, grow-up.

Make NO mistake – it’s ALL of them. EVER SINGLE ONE. This has NOW become a question of us against them! Average Joe vs. US Government -- Not Repubs and Demie, so don’t be fooled by that crap any more – that’s what they want you to think.

[doug @ Jan 15th 2007 12:13PM]

good on XM for standing up for their right to make products that consumers actually want and, in the process, standing up for fair use by consumers. who in god's name would think that time-shifting XM would actually be a piracy problem? but then the RIAA are the people who don't think ripping your own CDs is fair use.

when are we going to seem more hardware manufacturers flexing their lobbying muscle to battle mandatory DRM-crippling of their devices? I realize that some of the big ones (Sony) have an in-house conflict of interest because they are also content creators, but others should have their checkbooks out ...

[Loonie @ Jan 15th 2007 12:27PM]

No one ever consults any musicians on any of these matters ever. I always laugh when I hear Gigacorp MegaPublishing Inc. lament that they're only thinking about the poor artists.

Whatever.

[OTTO @ Jan 15th 2007 12:41PM]

"If republicans had their way you'd be listening to sermons everyday so wise up"
You should wise up...this is not a democrat/republican thing.

Democratic senator, Dianne Feinstein, is spearheading this thing.

You should not bash republicans every time the senate does something stupid.

Write your senators, government requires participation.

[Robert @ Jan 15th 2007 1:53PM]

im sorry why don't i just give you my taxes and let you spend it on the Mexicans in this country.

[c.Lake @ Jan 16th 2007 12:10AM]

@Robet

OMG, Robert… What the F*CK IS WRONG WITH YOU! Why/How could you say something so F_cking RACIST!! What does Mexicans have to do with the RIAA and Recording devices???

You need serious therapy, because only a sad and sick mind would connect rich white politicians with poor Mexicans. One has NOTHING TO DO with the other.

Ironically, all your hatred should be aimed at the rich WHITE politicians – because they are the one’s that are screwing you. (Although it’s easier to blame the poor Mexicans – right Hilter?)

[azzemoto @ Jan 15th 2007 12:32PM]

This is complete bullshit. As a satelite radio subscriber, I can tell you that dollar for dollar there is no better thing out there than satelite radio. My television consumption went down at least 75% last year due to satelite radio. Besides listening to the BEST SHOW on this planet, The Howard Stern, I get NFL and NBA games that I otherwise would not be able to hear.

To me this is simply an attack (once again) on the KING OF ALL MEDIA Howard Stern.

[Stevievep @ Jan 15th 2007 12:36PM]

What's next? Suing individuals for memorizing parts of songs and humming them or singing along in our cars?

[Gil @ Jan 15th 2007 1:38PM]

Don't give them any ideas

[markrw @ Jan 15th 2007 2:32PM]

Stevievep - you can still humm the tune but only the first 7 seconds after that you must pay the RIAA a licensing fee...

[OTTO @ Jan 15th 2007 12:59PM]

I just wrote my senator. I hope everybody else does the same.

[walk2k @ Jan 15th 2007 1:05PM]

On the other hand, I don't see any point to allowing people to record hundreds of streams of internet radio at once (and I've met people that do it) and doing... god knows what with it? It's not like they will ever have the time to listen to all of it.

I'm all for fighting for consumer rights but sometimes you have to pick your battles. As far as I'm concerned, internet "radio" is something you turn on, maybe change the channels to find something you like, and you listen to it for a few minutes or hours or whatever, then you turn it off. Why would you even want to record it? What is the point of that?

I mean it's already FREE for christ sakes, how much more "free" do you people really want it??

If you're going to fight battles, how about fighting for less restrictions on things that we PAY FOR such as downloaded music (legal - iTunes/etc..) and CDs.

[Jeremy K. @ Jan 15th 2007 1:10PM]

Internet radio is free, but satellite radio isn't.

[walk2k @ Jan 15th 2007 1:30PM]

Well if you don't like it then vote with your wallets and cancel it.

As far as I'm concerned people have the right to try to protect their content as they see fit and if the consumer doesn't like it they don't have to buy it, simple as that. If enough people cancel over this issue then they will have to rethink it won't they? But, I highly doubt that will happen since probably 98.7% of people that listen to satellite "radio" do just that, listen.. and never record it nor would they care to.

[Phoenixfury @ Jan 15th 2007 1:37PM]

I wonder what this could mean for Podcasts. Podcasts could easily be construed as internet radio. Sure you can aggregate them via RSS, but many people often just listen to them directly from their web browser which is usually streamed much like internet radio is. When you consider that the majority of podcasts are in the mp3 format and internet radio is often broadcast as a streaming mp3, you realize there is a fine line there.

[Igor @ Jan 15th 2007 1:44PM]

RIAA - go to HELL!

[rawr @ Jan 15th 2007 1:46PM]

Thats such crap. I hope the RIAA burn in hell, with vultures picking at their stinking innards. You may be able to tell I feel strongly about this issue :)

[Pedro @ Jan 15th 2007 2:43PM]

down with the RIAA and the EFF for that matter!

[Daniel Heller @ Jan 15th 2007 3:16PM]

This bill was introduced by Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Joseph Biden (D-Del.) and Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.)A bi-partisan group and not by the Democratic leadership as your photo shows.

[gman @ Jan 15th 2007 3:28PM]

since when was it the governments job to bother with music and media. I think they should just stick to there jobs which is protecting the people and the country, well, actually, theyre not really doing a good job on either. Go Anarchy

[Denis @ Jan 15th 2007 4:25PM]

What about HD radio? Are they not going to limit/outlaw recording from it?

[Alex Brossart @ Jan 15th 2007 5:57PM]

Why would they make it illegal to record the radio?

[Z @ Jan 16th 2007 7:13AM]

Idiot RIAA. Idiot politicians.

[Chris @ Jan 16th 2007 9:16AM]

What I wonder is why RIAA had no problems 10 years ago when I would record from my home stereo onto a cassette tape, and now they have a HUGE problem.

Actually, I can answer my own question. Unlike every other industry, the recording industry has failed to change its business model with the change of technology. And from this bill, it looks like the government is just going to protect them again. What really needs to happen is that they need to figure out why music is being stolen, and take some real, proactive, non legislative measures to fix losing money.

[Anders G @ Jan 26th 2007 6:07AM]

"the Platform Equality and Remedies for Rights Holders in Music Act"

Wow. That shounds like something straight from Atlas Shrugged.

[Anders G @ Jan 26th 2007 6:08AM]

Sounds.. Would be nice with an edit feature.. :)