This is important . . . from Gary Keller, Saxophone and Jazz Studies, Frost School of Music, University of Miami Watch Maria Schneiders live testimony at the hearing webcast Thursday, March 13 at 9:30 am ET (judiciary.house.gov/index.cfm/hearings) This Thursday, Recording Academy member and New York Chapter Board member Maria Schneider will testify before Congress on behalf of Independent musicians and other smaller copyright holders in the music industry. The subject matter is the “notice and takedown” provision of the Copyright Act. The notice and takedown procedure is particularly burdensome for independentmusic creators, many of whom tell me that it’s a game of “whack-a-mole,” in which the same unauthorized copyrighted works pop back up on the same services shortly after being taken down. Indie artists and composers must take time away from creating great music to issue endless takedown notices. Maria, a multiple GRAMMY-winning composer and conductor who runs her own business, is uniquely qualified to share her insights with Congress. I had dinner with Maria this past Saturday following the reception and the above subject, along with the whole concept of music on the internet that involves zero or minuscule payment of royalties was clearly on her mind. This subject is very dear to her and should be to the rest of us. The big players in the music industry are not bothered by free content because the data mining it represents is very valuable. An endless source of clicks that enables all sorts of targeted advertising and merchandising opportunities far and beyond the world of music. They want content, content, and more content, not for what is, but for the data that it can eventually snare. Musicians play into this by providing a seemingly endless supply of music (good, bad, or indifferent) for free. And if they dont want to provide it for free, the industry has ways of making it virtually free through rackets like internet radio. All fine and good, free enterprise you may say, but it is almost impossible for musicians to keep their content out of the hands of those they would rather not subsidize, as the industry is making harder and harder for musicians to keep their material out of the free zone if they so choose. The same data mining techniques so valuable to the industry for marketing opportunities could just as easily be used to track and pay royalties of copyrighted material, but they will fight this tooth and nail as it represents a cost to the bottom line of their business. Marias words: I believe this hearing is going to get into lots of things all musicians need to start seriously thinking about. Our entire way of life, our industry is at stake….send the info to everyone you can... please, lets blitz this thing. I just hope I can step up to the plate in all the right ways. People have told me, the other side will score a few points... expect it... but Ill do my best to represent musicians in the right way. I dont think Im allowed to say yet who is opposing me, but suffice to say, it should be interesting... very! Thank you... Gary Keller Lecturer Saxophone and Jazz Studies Frost School of Music University of Miami
Posted on: Wed, 12 Mar 2014 17:58:31 +0000
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