IFPI – still up to its old tricks
The IFPI (International Federation of Phonographic Industry) says a,"new international agreement that will allow internet webcasters to stream music programmes to consumers on the basis of a single ‘one-stop’ licence" is on its way.
It’ll, "allow webcasters to clear record producers’ rights in a multitude of countries by entering into a licence in one participating country" and will, "come into force as it is signed by national collecting societies over the next few weeks."
In fact, all that’s new is the date. And that’s old.
Headed by former RIAA boss Jay Berman, the IFPI is the record labels’ enforcement agency in Europe, Australia and elsewhere. British file sharers may be its next target, but in the meanwhile the IFPI appears to be setting itself up to once again try to browbeat streamcasters around the world into dancing to its tune.
Its mind-bogglingly arrogant One-Stop-Shop announcement is careful not to say exactly what Berman and association members are scheming. But an earlier statement on the same subject – exactly two years earlier, in fact – more or less spells it out:
"London, 11 September 2001 – Broadcasters are to be offered international licences to transmit music over the Internet under a landmark system of agreements announced by the recording industry today.
"Under a new system of reciprocal agreements between many of the music industry’s revenue-collecting bodies, traditional broadcasters will for the first time be able to transmit their terrestrial programmes simultaneously on the Internet on the basis of a single license from record labels that will be recognized internationally.
"The new system means that collecting societies representing record producers and other right holders, who before could license traditional broadcasting only within national borders, can now license ’simulcasting’ in more than 20 countries across the world. The number of countries is expected eventually to exceed 30."
Incredible stuff. The IFPI didn’t say then, and doesn’t say now, under what national or international authority it can issue ‘licenses,’ or anything else.
On Jason Berman
Bill Evans founded Boycott-RIAA.com, the site which first drew the international public eye to the activities of the entertainment industry, especially to the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America).
He funded the site, ran out of resources, sold it to raise money to keep it going, but disagrees strongly with the stance and philosophies of its new owner, Larry Feldman. With p2pnet.net founder Jon Newton (also Boycott-RIAA’s former news provider), Evans resigned to start IMIRA, aimed at opening up dialogue among dissenting parties in the music wars.
When Evans was still running Boycott-RIAA, he wrote an item based on the IFPI’s earlier announcement and which gives interesting look at Berman, who rules the association as if it were his personal fiefdom.
"On September 11, while the United States was under attack from terrorists, The IFPI (the International RIAA) attacked while were watching other events. Jay Berman of the IFPI, Hilary Rosen’s mentor and friend, announced the the formation of a new international program to license webcasting of broadcast signals," Evans wrote in 2001.
"The press release stated that the IFPI has signed agreements with numerous ‘countries’, which in fact are not countries but the IFPI members in those countries. The organizations may or may not be the authorized agent for licensing in those countries, and may or may not be authorized to collect royalties for those countries.
"This is a blatant attempt on the part of Jay Berman and the IFPI to extend US Copyright law to other countries without due process in those countries. Of course they are familiar with operating without due process, by making campaign contributions to politicians, offering high paying jobs to those who make ‘technical adjustments’ to the law, (remember Mitch Glazier who wrote the ‘technical adjustment’ that made all music work for hire? and placed it in a 1400 page document that had nothing to do with music?)
"The following IFPI members have signed the reciprocal agreements: Austria, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Netherlands, Portugal, Sweden, UK, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovak Republic, Canada, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, New Zealand, Taiwan, South Africa, Argentina, Mexico, Peru and Venezuela.
"Mr. Jason Berman is currently Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI). Since 1999 he has guided IFPI on key international priorities including the integration of Latin America into the IFPI structure, the Copyright Directive in the European Union, the ratification of the WIPO Copyright treaty, the final build out of the worldwide anti-piracy enforcement effort, and the implementation of the internet anti-piracy program.
"Mr. Berman has been involved in the music industry for over 25 years, starting in the early 1970s as a United States Senate aide, working on the Copyright Act of 1976. From there, he went to Warner Communications, representing all of the Warner labels on the Board of the Recording Industry Association of America. He was later appointed President and Chief Executive of RIAA and moved the organization from New York to Washington, D.C. In 1992, he was elected Chairman.
"In 1996, he was appointed by President Clinton to serve on the Commission on United States-Pacific Trade and Investment Policy. He also served as a member of the US Trade Representatives` Service Policy Advisory Committee and, in 1997, Mr. Berman took a three-month leave of absence from the RIAA to serve as special counselor for trade to President Clinton."
