Says six would cost 130 euros ($192 USD) p/yr, 12 would cost 260 euros ($383 USD) p/yr, and 30 would cost 650 euros ($960 USD) p/yr.
Buma/Stemra, a Dutch copyright collecting society for composers and music publishers, has introduced a new plan called “Fair Play Music” that would require those who embed videos to pay an on-demand licensing fee.
The fee ranges from 6 embedded files for 130 euros ($192 USD) p/yr, 12 for 260 euros ($383 USD) p/yr, to 30 would cost 650 euros ($960 USD) p/yr, and would be required beginning January 1st of 2010.
It’s a sad twist of fate for the Dutch music industry and hints at the degree of their desperation. It would mean ordinary people would have to pay a fee just to add a soundtrack to a family video shared with friends or for a video of a kid harmlessly dancing to the beat of Motown.
The real danger is that music artists would lose an important form of promotion. Many post videos of their favorite songs on social networking sites like Facebook or MySpace and thereby help to create new fans who in turn are more likely to buy the album or see them in concert.
“This plan will seriously hinder artists in promoting their music via the web,” said Mariko Peters, a Dutch politician.
It’s especially damaging to teenage music fans, the backbone of the music listeners, who certainly cant afford to pay a licensing fee to share music with their family friends. They’d certainly share music less, resulting in lower overall music consumption.
Stay tuned.
jared@zeropaid.com
So it begins, the battle between society and culture vs the Juggernaut of copyright industries. This will either strengthen the internet, or destroy it.
They don’t understand what embedding is, they don’t understand the value of embedding as a promotional tool, all they think about is $$$ for themselves.
Fortunately, they’ve already abandoned part of this plan and announced they will not go after private internet users with non-commercial websites, because of all the public and political outrage. Still, they should abandon the plan altogether. All it does is hurt the music industry. The idiots.
BULLSHIT
Seems like a terrible idea to squeeze the small sites when YouTube refuses to play ball. The thing is, embedded videos are downloaded quite easily. So it’s not just a form of promotion, it actually transfers the music to the viewer’s puter.
Your translation link is messed up. Do they want a compulsory license, or is this just something they are going to do on their own and this is the pricing scheme they are offering bloggers?
I don’t see what Mariko Peters is off about – nobody would force anyone to be a part of that organization. Independent musicians would still be able to promote their work however they want, give it away, hope for viral marketing, whatever, and even if they enter into an arrangement with a collection agency for compulsory licensing they can still draw contracts on a case by case basis or release stuff under a commons license or any license they see fit. That guy either doesn’t know what he’s talking about or he’s spreading FUD on purpose for political gain.
Gappi is right, they should forget about the idea. In Dutch law we don’t have clear rules on how to handle embedded content. If I am correctly informed there will be an attempt by a few politicians to change the law.
In the meantime it’s good news for independent artists, songwriters, composers publishing their own material. Like Malcolm Hume is saying, they can use this media moment to tell the world to embed their content without being charged by a collecting society like Buma/Stemra.
On behalf of many thousands of them I would like to say: thank you for the FREE (media) attention so far!
Omg , this is bs – maybe make fee for keeping food in my freezer, of make fees for using air, or maybe make a fee for being stupid and looking for extra money.
This would lead of lost profits by You Tube , and lost users.