[BC] The RIAAfia-physical media

[Rich Wood]

------ At 03:20 AM 1/1/2008, WFIFeng at aol.com wrote: -------

>That's not going to hold true anymore, with services like PLAYMPE.COM which
>allow stations to download high quality copies of songs... there is no more
>physical media.

No matter what medium you use you'll have to be able to prove you 
purchased the song or got it as a promotional copy from a record 
company. Most stations I've seen still use CDs as their source 
material. I'm simply warning (from experience) that you'd better have 
the physical copy available when the legal folks come to call. If you 
downloaded it, have the invoice in a file that's easily accessed.

Under no circumstances use an employee-owned CD to fill in your 
library. When it comes to a radio or TV station the RIAA children's 
download settlement will look like pocket change. Even with ASCAP and 
BMI licenses you can still be at risk when someone who claims 
copyright ownership comes out of left field. You may be in the right 
but the litigation (win or lose) costs will be awesome in time and money.

As we're seeing, ASCAP and BMI licenses aren't going to be enough 
once the RIAA's performance tax becomes law.

Rich