November 07, 2003
Shades of Things to Come With Compulsory Licensing

This issue has been addressed here, and elsewhere, before, regarding compulsory licensing, in a theoretical way, because we don't have compulsory licensing currently. But those who are forced to pay under a compulsory licensing might object, as these students have to the new Penn State system:

    PENN STATE STUDENTS SNUB NAPSTER DEAL
    Some Penn State University students are protesting their college's new deal with the Napster music service, saying the deal is not an appropriate use of funds they are required to pay. The new service was announced yesterday with considerable fanfare, touted by university officials and the company as a way to provide students with a legal alternative to downloading music illegally from Kazaa or other file-swapping networks.

From John Borland/C|Net. Although he does point out that the $160 per semester fee for technology services, already in place, will cover this new service with no increase in fees. But students are complaining because some part of that fee will go to Napster and they don't want to participate. It's what had been predicted with compulsory licensing, and now that this form of CL is in the works, we need to think carefully about these objections and other aspects of CLs for the full Internet populace. This might be a very interesting test case as to what would happen if CL's were adopted across the Internet.

Also, check out Derek Slater's More Crummy Reporting on Penn State's Music Service, What Price is Wrong and My Letter to Pho on PSU/Napster. Frank Field notes the /. discussion on this issue, where it was pointed out that Barry Robinson, Senior Counsel for Corporate Affairs for the Recording Industry Association of America, Inc., is on the PSU board.

Posted by Mary Hodder at November 07, 2003 06:56 AM
Comments
Post a comment
Name:


Email Address:


URL:


Comments:


Remember info?