Congress Kind of Saves Internet Radio

I don't know how many people use Pandora, but I find it to be an excellent music streaming service. It's an outgrowth of the Music Genome Project, an undertaking to figure out what properties link different kinds of music together to better understand both music and our genre tastes. The idea is pretty simple - put in an artist you like, and Pandora creates a radio station based around that and similar artists. If you like a song, they provide links to online stores like iTunes and Amazon so you can buy it. Seems like a pretty decent idea - allowing people to listen only to music they like while exposing them to new artists they might not otherwise have discovered. I know I've discovered a number of excellent artists this way.

Not content with the free promotion, the music industry has been trying to get Pandora to pay exorbitant royalty fees each time a song is played. Of course, with the number of songs a service like Pandora is playing at any given time, the costs quickly go through the roof. This demand from the music industry has threatened to kill Pandora and other similar music streaming services.

In an effort to save themselves, Pandora has been in negotiations with the music industry to pay not per-song royalties, but a percentage of their overall profits. It seems like a lousy deal, but it might just be enough to save the service. Unfortunately, the deadline to "pay up" was approaching faster than the talks, a plight that was recently delayed by an act of Congress. Far from settling anything, the Webcaster Settlement Act of 2008 gives them more time to reach a decision. Let's hope the music industry can stop shooting itself in the foot long enough to reach a deal with these valuable 21st century services. In the meantime, enjoy Pandora.

Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement

"I've been following the developments of the ultra-secret Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement since this document leaked several months ago. This treaty represents an assemblage of the world's wealthiest countries getting together to fight a rampant problem - not public health, not rogue states, not even terrorism, but copyright infringement.

It has become clear that the term counterfeiting will not be restricted to physical goods, where cheap, inferior reproductions could cause harm to the unwitting end user, but instead expanded to target "internet distribution." To quote Canadian Internet Policy and Public Interest Clinic (CIPPIC) counsel David Fewer,

“If Hollywood could order intellectual property laws for Christmas, what would they look like? This is pretty close.”

This agreement is slated to be fast-tracked with a goal of having it signed by the end of this year. Unfortunately, the entire process has remained shrouded in mystery with little public input on an issue that will assuredly affect them. It's time to end these kinds of one-sided debates.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation has a very informative page on the treaty as well as a means of contacting your senator - urge them to demand that this treaty be brought into the light so we can judge its contents."

[via Zwybak!]

USMSC - First Impressions

Like Brian, Sunday was my first experience attending a USMSC meeting. I'd had the opportunity to hear a lot of the news from my fellow UMBC students who were involved in the council last year, so it was exciting to be a part of it myself. It's refreshing to be a part of a group of students from across the state who care about continuing to improve our higher education system.

There are a number of important issues that we are going to be making decisions about in the next few months. Most of the technical details have already been posted here by Josh, so I'd like to talk a bit about the directions I think the council should go.

The issue of slot machines in Maryland has been controversial for years. This November, we'll be voting on a constitutional amendment to allow their placement in several specific locations across the state. Some of the money earned from the slots will be diverted to support higher education. While passing this agenda item via constitutional amendment seems a little extreme, I am in favor of the idea. Currently Maryland residents who wish to gamble this way are forced to travel to other nearby states to do so, bringing their dollars with them. I'd like to see that money be kept in-state, especially when we can use the income to support things like higher education. We might even be able to attract residents from other states to spend their money here, especially at races like Preakness. The bottom line for me is that if people want to gamble, they will - if not here, then with our neighbor states. Instead of funneling that money to them, let's keep it here and use it for worthy causes.

The issue of lowering the drinking age has gotten a bit misinterpreted. What Brit Kirwan and others are supporting is honest, scientific discussion on drinking age limitations and their effectiveness at preventing alcohol-related problems in young adults. We all have our personal opinions on which way the law should go, but the truth is that the only way to settle the discussion is with research. Let's bring some science to this argument in the hope of moving forward in a knowledgeable manner.

It's going to be an exciting year - I'm looking forward to it!