[Fmpro] ASCAP and Technology

Sun Feb 18 17:04:24 GMT 2007

With respect.

I think ASCAP and all the other PRO's have done a
fantasic job of keeping everyone's eye OFF the ball.

They know what tracking etc will achieve, they know
what accuracy will mean, THEY ALSO KNOW THE CLOCK IS
RUNNING.

In the 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 world the mechanical right will
rule.......  why is everyone going on about tracking
and weighting formulae etc when in a heartbeat it may
well be all over???
t
Mechanicals are all 1-1.. aren' they?

Going back to Bellis........  I remember arguing with
him over 'geting the money up front'... and giving up
the mech right [especuially re WFH].... wonder what he
will say now given the only right in the future
[maybe] is the mech right?

Check out   www.viidoo.com   does it work on Macs?

Les

--- Fernando Rivas <rivas2750 at comcast.net> wrote:

> Well put, Mark. Along with fear of the new
> technologies there is also a lack
> of understanding about what can be achieved with
> them.  As usual stupidity
> errs on the side of greed.
> 
> FR
> 
> 
> On 2/18/07 3:58 AM, "Mark Northam"
> <mark at gmdgroup.com> wrote:
> 
> > Lots of the board members mouthed their concerns,
> etc about technology
> > somehow being a threat to performing rights
> royalties, and to me that's
> > exactly the problem - rather than seeing
> technology like watermarking and
> > better automated tracking as a benefit, they see
> it as a threat, and the
> > results are self-evident - PROs who use technology
> reluctantly, to benefit
> > certain groups only, with it's usage
> custom-designed to maintain the status
> > quo of who's getting paid what as best they can...
> > 
> > Hal David's been on the board for a long time -
> plenty long enough for him
> > to become a leading voice about implementing
> watermarking, etc. Have we
> > heard word one from him about this? Nope. Did he
> answer the FMPRO board
> > members questionnaire at the last election? Nope.
> Did he answer the Film
> > Music Magazine questionnaire at this election?
> Nope again. That demonstrates
> > the kind of arrogance and contempt that so many in
> the board apparently have
> > for honest, legitimate questions from members
> about their positions on
> > important issues. Has Hal volunteered HIS board
> attendance records? Nope.
> > 
> > I'll say it again... The massive amount of unpaid,
> untracked musical
> > performances is the elephant standing in the
> middle of the room at the PROs.
> > If they tracked and paid all of these
> performances, existing members' checks
> > would decrease, something that would not go over
> well with many members.
> > 
> > What we're seeing is the strategic non-use of
> technology in order to
> > maintain the wealth levels of certain groups of
> members. It's a system
> > that's rotten from the head on down, and only a
> major influx of new board
> > members who are committed to something more than
> maintaining their own
> > personal royalty checks and board positions is
> going to get us closer to
> > fairness and accuracy in PRO royalty payments.
> > 
> > Simply put, it's time for a regime change at
> ASCAP. The arrogant,
> > "party-line" position of the ASCAP Board must give
> way to individual
> > accountability and independent, thoughtful
> dialogue with all interested
> > members, not just those invited to the "high
> earner's meeting"and the like.
> > 
> > No more unlimited board terms for "career
> politician" board members at ASCAP
> > who are so afraid of members discovering the truth
> that they hide their own
> > attendance records.
> > 
> > And let's end the "President for Life" designation
> of the ASCAP President
> > and give it a finite term, like 8 years. If it's
> good enough for the
> > President of the United States, it's good enough
> for the ASCAP President.
> > 
> > It's time for some new blood, new ideas, and new
> leaders who embrace the new
> > business models of the music business rather than
> fearing those new business
> > models and the people who would seek to reform
> ASCAP. Technology is not a
> > threat, it's a tool. The real question we should
> be asking all ASCAP Board
> > members is: are you willing to use that tool in a
> fair and evenhanded way to
> > level the playing field and benefit all members,
> not just those favored by
> > the old system?
> > 
> > Best,
> > 
> > Mark Northam
> > 
> >> Also, Hal David states, "In this technological
> age it
> >> is important that we establish supremacy in
> tracking
> >> our performances and licensing our works." I'm
> not
> >> sure if he means TV too. But, performance
> tracking is
> >> my number one issue, so I might add him to my
> vote.
> >> Thoughts?
> > 
> > ---------------------------------
> > Mark Northam - Publisher
> > Film Music Magazine / Film Music Weekly
> > The Professional Voice of Music for Film & TV
> > http://www.filmmusicmag.com
> > Yahoo/Skype: marknortham  /  AIM: mnortham
> > 
> > 
> > 
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> 
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