Digital Distribution

FMC's Presentation at FTC Forum on Peer-to-Peer Filesharing

A presentation delivered to the Federal Trade Commission in December 2004 that placed the discussions of peer-to-peer technologies in a broader context. Michael Bracy referenced the results of a study that FMC worked on with the Pew Internet and American Life Project concerning artists? and citizens? attitudes toward the Internet, copyright and peer-to-peer technologies. read more

Report Finds Musicians and Artists use Internet to Advance Their Work, Connect Directly with Audiences

December 5, 2004

A just-released study by the Pew Internet & American Life Project provides a current and comprehensive snapshot of artists’ and musicians’ opinions about the internet and copyright in the digital age. The report – "Artists, Musicians and the Internet" – finds that musicians and artists have embraced the internet as a tool that helps them create, promote, and sell their work. However, they are divided about the impact and importance of free file-sharing and other copyright issues. read more

Artists, Musicians and The Internet

Kristin Thomson, Future of Music Coalition and Mary Madden, Pew Internet and American Life Project

Sunday, December 5, 2004

In Spring 2004, FMC worked in partnership with the Pew Internet & American Life Project and an array of other musician-based organizations to conduct a balanced survey that gave musicians, performers and songwriters a chance to speak up about the Internet, file-sharing, and copyright issues.

We’ve all heard speculations about what musicians are “really thinking” in the changing digital landscape. Yet, from our vantage point inside the music community these projections have always seemed too narrow to represent the complex concerns we regularly experience in our discussions with musicians.

FMC felt is was time to stop projecting our thoughts and preferences onto musicians and, instead, ask musicians to share their own experiences and opinions. read more

Artists, Musicians and The Internet: Select Survey Answers

As one of two open-ended questions in our 2004 online survey, we asked musicians what they thought would be the best approach to dealing with the unauthorized music distribution of music online. Fully 87% of all musicians and songwriters provided a response to this question (n=2,755). The answers represent a broad spectrum of opinions that reflect the diverse and varied experiences of musicians and music fans, stretching from “all music should be free, so stop worrying about it” to “file-sharers should be put in jail.” Below we provide select quotes from this survey question that illustrate the range of opinions held by musicians and songwriters on this issue. read more

SoundExchange: A Digital Primer

Kristin Thomson

Wednesday, October 13, 2004

In August, FMC’s Kristin Thomson had a chat with Neeta Ragoowansi, membership director for SoundExchange, the agency that collects and distributes the digital public performance royalty. We talked about the basics of how SoundExchange works and its growth over the past four years, and why it’s important for bands, labels and performers to become members of SoundExchange. Don’t know much about SoundExchange? Read on to see how it could apply to you. read more

Is Grokster Contributory and Vicarious?

How the courts wrestle with copyright and creativity in internet age

Wendy Harman

Monday, October 11, 2004

The Grokster case is just one of the many lawsuits that the major record labels, usually represented by the RIAA, have brought against new technologies that have the ability to infringe on their copyrights. In this case, MGM and others filed suit against P2P file sharing networks Grokster and Streamcast under the legal theory of “contributory and vicarious liability”. Since the P2P companies themselves are not directly infringing copyrights – they’re merely providing the means for the filesharing to occur – this theory is currently the only legal recourse copyright owners have to stop the networks from allowing music files to be freely traded on the internet. read more

FMC Sends Letter to Senate Judiciary Committee Stating Concerns About the INDUCE Act

A letter filed with the Senate Judiciary Committee regarding the INDUCE Act. FMC appreciates the committee?s willingness to address the issue of peer-to-peer file-sharing. However, we were concerned that S. 2560, the ?Inducing Infringement of Copyrights Act of 2004? (INDUCE Act) was premature and, arguably, irresponsible. This piece of legislation was designed to target and provide legal remedies to punish entities and companies that willfully ?induce? consumers and music fans to illegally download music, but if it had passed, might have had unintended and negative consequences beyond the stated goals. read more

Artist Groups and Unions File Joint Reply Comments On Transition To Digital Audio Broadcasting At FCC

August 2, 2004

Five prominent organizations representing recording artists and musicians filed reply comments [PDF] at the Federal Communications Commission in the proceeding examining the upcoming transition from analog to digital audio broadcasting (DAB) (MM Docket 99-325). In their joint filing, the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA), American Federation of Musicians (AFM), the Future of Music Coalition (FMC), The Recording Academy®, and the Recording Artists’ Coalition (RAC) expressed broad support for and excitement about the opportunities that digital audio broadcasting presents to citizens and recording artists. read more

Full Summary of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act

Brett Keller

Monday, August 2, 2004

A step by step explanation of the DMCA and its impact on national and international copyright law.

Title One: WIPO Treaty Implementation read more

A Summary of the DMCA

For Musicians and others on the Music Business