Don't worry Music! The public will save you!

Online music is in danger. In March, the Copyright Royalty Board announced a decision that could drastically impact the variety and diversity of music available on the Internet. All "webcasters," nonprofit and for-profit, small and large, face a massive hike in the royalties they pay every time they play a song. The exorbitant fees could put small, independent webcasters out of business and force the large webcasters to adopt the cookie-cutter model of traditional radio. The fees would be unsustainable for public radio webcasters who would be forced to significantly reduce the alternative and cultural programming they offer.

We need to stop the new charges before they go into effect. The Copyright Royalty Board isn't used hearing from the public, so your action can really make a difference. Sign the petition today.

Click here to learn more about Internet radio royalties.

Petition Text
Internet radio provides an outlet for new artists, independent performers and endless variety of musical genres that aren't available anywhere else. The recent decision by the Copyright Royalty Board to massively increase royalty rates for nonprofit and commercial "webcasters" is a mistake. We need fair rules that compensate artists and allow a wide range of noncommercial and independent outlets to flourish online.

As Internet radio listeners, we ask you to craft rules that:

*Make a clear distinction in rates paid by noncommercial, smaller commercial, and larger commercial webcasters, recognizing in particular the unique mission of public radio webcasters.
*Reinstate a reasonable flat rate for noncommercial and smaller commercial webcasters -- the proposed rates would cripple their operations.
*Establish a fee that is reasonable for larger commercial providers -- this rate hike would be disastrous for the diversity of their programming.

We urge you to act quickly to fix these rules and protect Internet radio.
Signed by:

[Your name]
[Your address]


Click here to sign the petition!