Webcaster Settlement Act of 2008
Floor Speech
WEBCASTER SETTLEMENT ACT OF 2008 -- (House of Representatives - September 27, 2008)
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Ms. ZOE LOFGREN of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the Webcaster Settlement Act. Since the Copyright Royalty Board announced its decision dramatically increasing royalty rates for webcasters, Internet radio has really been in serious jeopardy. In some cases, fees under the ruling actually exceeded the revenue, obviously a business model that is impossible to sustain.
Because the demise of Internet radio is absolutely in no one's interest, not in the stakeholders, Members of Congress have worked very hard to reach a negotiated compromise that would supersede the CRB decision and preserve the continued viability of Internet radio.
I particularly want to commend Representative Berman for his work in bringing the parties together. They were very far apart, and his personal attention to this has been a key element for this progress.
This act buys some time for the negotiations to continue, removes the statutory impediment to implementation of a negotiated compromise, and I am very hopeful that we will achieve what we wish.
The alternative to this legislation would be a court-imposed solution that would drive many of the newest and most promising innovators like Pandora, located in Alameda County, out of the marketplace. It's not just the providers of content, it's the American public, indeed the world, that is able to use the digital world for access to content. We don't want, any of us, to stand in the way of that.
I just want to take a minute here, because this may be the last time that I have an opportunity to work on a bill on this floor with Congressman Cannon, who will not be returning to the 111th Congress.
I just want to say, if you look at Congressman Cannon's record and mine, you will find very different records, one of the most conservative Members of Congress, and I am not.
But I will say that working with Congressman Cannon is a tremendous honor, because he is a very smart guy and he is very focused. There are never any games working with him. It's always what can he see that's in the public's interest. When you can work with someone like that, even though it's a conservative and a nonconservative, you can make progress.
It's just been an honor to work with Congressman Cannon. He has served his district, his State and his country with tremendous distinction. I just want to thank him for all he has done. I know he will have many other things to contribute in the private sector, but it's really been an honor to work with him.
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