The royalty rates, proposed by an arbitration panel last month, have sparked considerable controversy in the online music arena. Independent online radio stations say the new fees, which would be a fraction of a cent for every song streamed, would put them out of business.
Many Webcasters and radio stations have also complained that proposed rules for logging which songs are played, and to whom, would be expensive and impractical. The Copyright Office is asking for new input from small businesses on these logging and record-keeping rules. The round table will be held May 10 in Washington, D.C. --John Borland, Special to ZDNet News
