It was last week that ASCAP launched its letter campaign asking its members to donate a special lobbying fund in order to fight organizations like EFF, Public Knowledge, Creative Commons and technology companies. If ASCAP just asked its members to donate to their fund without specifying on what purpose, it would get more return, actually.
The letter sent out to the members said that forces of the companies mentioned above are now mobilizing to undermine the copyright while promoting “copyleft” by spreading the word that the copyrighted music should be free. Then it pointed out to the future for digital music: the performers would find it harder to earn any money, causing the music dry up, and leaving the music consumers as the final losers.
Right after Creative Commons, the EFF hurried to comment on the campaign. The spokesperson for the outfit doesn’t believe that ASCAP characterized its work and mission properly. On the contrary to what ASCAP says, the EFF thinks musicians should be compensated for their work, and that’s why it has such interesting proposals for that as Voluntary Collective Licensing. Its concept is quite simple: the entertaining industry creates a few collecting societies, offering file-sharers the opportunity to become legal for some reasonable payment, for example $5-10 a month. Well, actually, the rate should be below that, because even such services as Rhapsody offer you any music for the same money. Anyway, so long as they pay, people are free to share their favorite music, like they are doing now – using any software on any platform – but without fear of being sued. The proceeds get then divided among copyright owners according to the popularity of their works.
It can be clearly seen that the main goal of the EFF is to keep a balance and ensure that the technologies go on empowering people as users and creators. The EFF would be gratified if ASCAP understood that like many of its members.
By:
SaM
July 5th, 2010
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