[Fmpro] ASCAP and Technology

Sun Feb 18 18:32:50 GMT 2007

Les, 

I'll venture to say you probably underestimate the level of ignorance still
present in the administrative levels of the PROs but I do agree
wholeheartedly that those who know certainly aren't taking a lot of action
to inform or employ information for the 'good of all'.

Not only does stupidity err on the side of greed - greed feasts on ignorance
and perpetuates it for its own best interests.

As to VIIDOO.com - I can't get it to work on my Mac but I'm hoping there's a
way.

FR

On 2/18/07 12:04 PM, "Les Hurdle" <leshurdle101 at yahoo.com> wrote:

> 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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