Pandora UK bites the dust
p2pnet news | Freedom:- High royalty demands from the two main UK collection agencies have forced the UK closure of "robot-powered" music streaming service Pandora, says The Register.
"The site will continue to stream to what it recognizes are US-based IP addresses, but will block connections to UK addresses from January 15," says the story.
In an email to UK listeners, Pandora founder Tim Westergren said he was "very, very sorry" for the abrupt end to the service, says the BBC, going on:
"In the US net radio services are licensed under the terms of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act but any company wishing to stream music overseas has to negotiate deals on a nation by nation basis."
In May, "We have a single mission," says Pandora Media, p2pnet reported. "To help you discover new music you’ll love."
Our story went on:
That’s great. Or it or it was great. We say "was" because a major problem has cropped up. It’s called the DMCA (Digital Millennium Copyright Act) and thanks to its constrictions, Pandora’s audience has now become so limited as to be almost non-existent.
Now Canada has been added to the growing list of countries, Pandora can no longer reach.
"We’ve now created an interface to make this available to music lovers so they could use this musical ‘connective-tissue’ to discover new music based on songs or artists they already know," states the Pandora ‘about’ page.
Back in the UK, The Register has Westergren saying, ""After over a year of trying, this has proved impossible. Both the PPL (which represents the record labels) and the MCPS/PRS Alliance (which represents music publishers) have demanded per track performance minima rates which are far too high to allow ad supported radio to operate and so, hugely disappointing and depressing to us as it is, we have to block the last territory outside of the US."
"We have been told to sign these totally unworkable license rates or switch off, non-negotiable…so that is what we are doing. Streaming illegally is just not in our DNA, and we have to take the threats of legal action seriously."
Also see:
The Register – Pandora UK closes after royalties demands, January 9, 2008
BBC – Pandora to cut off UK listeners, January 9, 2008
p2pnet – Compulsory Net access for UK children?, January 7, 2008
p2pnet – DMCA forces Pandora to ban Canada, May 18, 2007
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January 9th, 2008 at 8:46 am
January 9th, 2008 at 1:01 pm
We Don’t Need No Stinkin’ Borders
http://torrentfreak.com/the-pirates-dilemma-080108/
January 9th, 2008 at 5:04 pm
That’s too bad, I love Pandora and listen to it every day at work. I know a lot of people who listen to Pandora and then buy tracks they like from itunes or the like…..seems like the music industry is shooting itself in the foot yet again; but thats old news by now.
January 9th, 2008 at 7:16 pm
That’s always been the problem with Pandora. Too much thinking outside the box.
January 10th, 2008 at 6:57 am
Don’t worry too much. Try http://www.globalpandora.com instead for the time being.
Rgds,
Jonas
January 17th, 2008 at 4:47 am
Why doesn’t PPL listen to the music buyers? Instead they’re charging ridiculous fees – Pandora was great. I’ve also bought music through there, like others, and so the music industry does benefit.