<![CDATA[Gizmodo: nmpa]]> http://tags.gizmodo.com/assets/base/img/thumbs140x140/gizmodo.com.png <![CDATA[Gizmodo: nmpa]]> http://gizmodo.com/tag/nmpa http://gizmodo.com/tag/nmpa <![CDATA[iTunes Shutdown Scare Officially Over, Officially Dumb]]> The National Music Publishers Board didn't get their request to the Copyright Royalty Board for a larger cut of digital music sales, putting a definitive end to a miniature media crisis over the "possible" shutdown of iTunes. Apple threw a minor shit-fit over the prospective hike last year, insinuating that they might not be able to continue business if they were "no longer able to do so profitably" (what business sense!), after which the British press decided that music was going to go away forever, or something. In any case, iTunes' profitability was never really at stake, Apple wasn't actually planning to shut down the largest music retailer in the US, and the press needs to calm down. [BBC]

]]> http://gizmodo.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5058518&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[iTunes Shutdown Threat Probably as Dangerous as Large Hadron Collider]]> Today the US Copyright Royalty Board is going to decide if they agree to increase music royalty payments as requested by the National Music Publishers Association, and for some reason the British are panicking over the idea that the Apple iTunes Music Store will shut down because of this. The reason for their hysteria is a Board at the Library of Congress deposition by iTunes vice president Eddy Cue in 2007:

If (iTunes) was forced to absorb any increase in the... royalty rate, the result would be to significantly increase the likelihood of the store operating at a financial loss - which is no alternative at all. Apple has repeatedly made it clear that it is in this business to make money, and most likely would not continue to operate [iTunes] if it were no longer possible to do so profitably.

As a result of this, the limey yellow press and the BBC are talking about music apocalypse today, Nostradamus style, as if they were one of those crazy potheads who keep writing to us about how the Large Hadron Collider is going to assplode and take the reality fabric with it.

Well, here's a note to all those who are trying to spin this for their own benefit, saying that Apple is "holding its customers to ransom by threatening to shut down its iTunes music download site": Not only there's no ransom because Apple's protected material keeps working even while the store is not but, quite simple, it's just not going to happen. [BBC News and Daily Mail]

]]> http://gizmodo.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5057949&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Music Publishers Sue XM Radio]]> The RIAA isn't the only company pissing us off this month. The National Music Publishers Association has slapped a "last resort" lawsuit on XM. The lawsuit is regarding a particular service called XM + MP3 that allows XM subscribers to save and store songs on portable players as long as they remain XM subscribers. The royalties that XM pays does not cover the ability to save and store songs, according to the NMPA.

The RIAA filed a similar lawsuit against XM last year that is still pending. The NMPA represents musicians under Famous Music, Warner/Chappell, Sony/ATV, and EMI publishers. Gizmodo angry, Gizmodo smash! –Travis Hudson

NMPA files suit against XM Satellite Radio [Orbitcast]
Related: RIAA Boycott Coverage

]]> http://gizmodo.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=246708&view=rss&microfeed=true