Embedding a YouTube Video May Cost You a Bundle in ASCAP Bills

[curzlgt]

Story : http://gawker.com/5310339/embedding-a-youtube-video-may-cost-you-a-bundle-in-asc

Fresh off a court victory against Google's YouTube, ASCAP tells us it is setting its sights on users of the video-sharing site. Welcome to the exciting world of copyright licensing, blogger; you may already owe gobs of money!

ASCAP licenses the performance rights for music, collecting royalties for its songwriter members when their songs are played in certain contexts.

Those contexts now include a YouTube video embedded on your blog or website, assuming your site is not "purely" non-commercial and is deemed large enough by ASCAP. The group just sent a collection letter to internet entrepreneur Jason Calacanis (pictured) for YouTube videos embedded on his Mahalo reference site. Based on what the group told Valleywag, other startups should be worried:

ASCAP does not offer licenses to – or require licenses from – those who simply make their personal blogs available on purely noncommercial Web sites. Mahalo.com is a larger venture than simply a personal blog, and therefore ASCAP is engaged in discussions with Mr. Calacanis concerning the use of ASCAP members' music on the site.

[Overnet User]

Fuck You ASCAP and all of the other Cartel organizations!!!

[curzlgt]

Fuck You ASCAP and all of the other Cartel organizations!!!

just curious OVU, how would your world without "cartel organizations" work? and how do you define "cartel organizations"?

[Tom Brokaw]

Unlike the RIAA, ASCAP actually represents the artists, or is at least much closer to having the artists' interests at heart rather than the record companies'.

It's one thing to get something but not pay for it that you wouldn't have bought anyway and another to make money off others' work. I'm not quite coherent enough ATM to tell if that's what the gawker article was stating the mahalo guy was accused of.

[Overnet User]

About Ascap: ASCAP Wants To Be Paid When Your Phone Rings

ASCAP (the same folks who went after Girl Scouts for singing around a campfire) appears to believe that every time your musical ringtone rings in public, you're violating copyright law by "publicly performing" it without a license. At least that's the import of a brief it filed in ASCAP's court battle with mobile phone giant AT&T.

This will doubtless come as a shock to the millions of Americans who have legitimately purchased musical ringtones, contributing millions to the music industry's bottom line. Are we each liable for statutory damages (say, $80,000) if we forget to silence our phones in a restaurant?

German ASCAP pendant wins preliminary injunction against Rapidshare more ASCAP

ASCAP blue after royalty ruling And Here

What do you think about ASCAP now?

[curzlgt]

About Ascap: ASCAP Wants To Be Paid When Your Phone Rings

ASCAP (the same folks who went after Girl Scouts for singing around a campfire) appears to believe that every time your musical ringtone rings in public, you're violating copyright law by "publicly performing" it without a license. At least that's the import of a brief it filed in ASCAP's court battle with mobile phone giant AT&T.

This will doubtless come as a shock to the millions of Americans who have legitimately purchased musical ringtones, contributing millions to the music industry's bottom line. Are we each liable for statutory damages (say, $80,000) if we forget to silence our phones in a restaurant?

German ASCAP pendant wins preliminary injunction against Rapidshare more ASCAP

ASCAP blue after royalty ruling And Here

What do you think about ASCAP now?

my comment not worthy of your response?

[Overnet User]

my comment not worthy of your response?

lol, some people are multitasking ya know,

just curious OVU, how would your world without "cartel organizations" work? and how do you define "cartel organizations"?

It would be totally different than it is now. Something like http://embassyofpiracy.org .