FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 4/29/2001
Contact: Ancient Future Music
1-415-459-1892. info@ancient-future.com
Open Market Digital Distribution
An Open Letter Offering a Solution Allowing File Sharing on the Internet
(This Open Letter was sent to the the Senate Judiciary Committee)
4/29/2001
Honorable Senator Orrin G. Hatch, Chairman
Honorable Senator Patrick Leahy, Ranking Member
Senate Judiciary Committee, United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510
Dear Senators:
I am a proposed class representative for independent musicians
in a class action suit against Napster. However, I support a compulsory
license for file sharing on the Internet. On March 14, 2001, I
sent a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee outlining my plan
for a compulsory statutory license, with a copy sent to Napster
CEO Hank Barry. On April 3, Mr. Barry made a plea to congress
for a similar statutory license.
Representatives for the motion picture and recording industries
were against the idea. "Government price-fixing never works,"
said Jack Valenti of the Motion Picture Association of America.
The major labels have their own plans for Internet distribution,
such as the Universal Music/Yahoo download site Duet. None of
these sites, however, offers consumers what they want, which is
one place they can get music from any artist. To legally offer
music from every artist, a site would have to acquire licenses
from every copyright holder individually, an impossible task.
In light of this, I have a new proposal for Open Market Digital
Distribution. Once a record is released commercially, it would
be subject to a compulsory license for digital distribution. A
central online database would be set up through the US Copyright
Office where copyright holders could set retail and wholesale
prices for their music. Congress would set a statutory license
fee for any copyright holders who did not choose to exercise their
option to set prices. Once a copyright holder released a work
to the public, any site could sell it without negotiating for
rights provided that they pay the license fee.
Musicians, the recording industry, digital distribution sites
and the public would benefit from such an arrangement. Record
labels would get added distribution, and older catalog items would
see a new sales life. File sharing sites could offer any music
they choose and could also negotiate with copyright holders for
bulk rates based on any promotional value they may be able to
offer. The public would support this because it allows file sharing
to continue.
Sincerely,
Matthew Montfort
Musical Director
Ancient Future
World Fusion Music Ensemble
415-459-1892
info@ancient-future.com
ancient-future.com
Napster now respects copyright law, and Ancient Future tracks are available. Feel free to download and stream them all you like!