RIAA, Royalties, Scam?

[Jason Tate]

Is the RIAA pulling a scam on the music industry? This article (http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/4/24/141326/870) shows how the RIAA is claiming the right to collect royalties for all artists - even those who want nothing to do with the RIAA.
Go to the SoundExchange site (http://plays.soundexchange.com/) and take a look at the hundreds of indie labels for whom SoundExchange claims they have collected royalties. Enter some of those label names on RIAA Radar (http://www.riaaradar.com/...) and notice how few are actually members of the RIAA. Contact the label and ask if they are a member of RIAA and they almost certainly aren’t and may not even be aware that SoundExchange is collecting royalty fees on their music. And what exactly is SoundExchange doing with the money they have collected for those hundreds of labels that must have thousands of songs???

[12:46AM]

the riaa is a joke.

[Love As Arson]

Is this the industry that people are trying to save by arguing against filesharing? It'd be best if it were destroyed.

[blinkingfoo]

riaa radar site isn't working...or the link is messed up

[heyRomanticA__x]

What did you expect from an industry that has ties to war profiteering?

[ShallowDepths]

Is there anything that can be done? I was under the impression this country is for and run by the people, and if the general concensus does not like the way something is done, is it not to be challenged and re-organized by the people it serves?

What.Can.We.Do?

Theres a lot of people complaining, and not enough people doing and I think its up to places like this very site to take a stand on behalf of its readers and in a joint effort with them to say "enough is enough"

...it makes me sad that its reached this point, and we've allowed it to get there.

[badstarsfall]

I don't even know what to say to this.

[SykoBadger]

i may be misunderstanding, but it would appear that SoundExchange has nothing to do with the RIAA. Correct me if I'm wrong... it seems like it was created by the RIAA, but I don't see anything indicating they are still affiliated or how this could benefit the RIAA

[riotmute]

Sound Exchange collects royalties for bands through online performance rights. I believe they are affiliated in someway with the government and I have never heard of an affiliation between them and the RIAA. Even if the RIAA is involved, collecting royalities for artists is probably the only positive thing they have done in the last decade

[Fuce]

If I'm understanding this correctly, this is outrageous. I hope to god I'm not.

[NJUNDERDOG]

one more reason the riaa is lame. super duper lame.

[PerfectModel]

the link isn't working because there is a ... after the backslash real link should be

http://www.riaaradar.com/

[altemose09]

fuck that

[genericmadness]

the RIAA becomes more like a movie villain every week

[EmilyRegina]

Why aren't there more replies to this post? This sucks if it's true... and AP kids are usually so much more up in arms about this kind of crap... I am sensing apathy here all of the sudden.

[adeepname]

that is complete and utter bullshit. i think i just got my first feature for my magazine. does anyone have any idea how to stand up against this type of corporate piracy?