[Fmpro] ASCAP and Technology

[Fernando Rivas]

Which is why I think ignorance plays a big role. The technology of
communications changes every day.  I don't know that if the PROs are keeping
up with it, or to what extent they are keeping up.  It would seem a tech
staff is needed in these organizations just to figure out what is being done
with intellectual properties, how to measure or how to compensate for it. I
doubt that anyone has really figured it all out.  Many of the people on our
list are technically savvy. They can see many of the evolutionary processes
taking place but honestly, some of these old farts that are high up in the
administration of PRO's are lucky if they can use their email without
crashing their computers.

I know from my own experience that most people my age and even slightly
younger in their 40s and 50s are TOTALLY out of touch with communications
technology.  Even those who surf the internet occasionally or use email just
have NO CLUE. 

I don't know exactly why but this seems to be an age-related issue. I know
my wife and I have been 'with it' since the early 80's but it seems that a
lot of older people (and some not so old!) have walked away from the brave
new world, even looking at it as a downward trend in human relationships.

It is, I suppose, a very human thing to want to cling to the familiar as
opposed to embracing the unfamiliar - the new - and the untried.

As to what role greed plays in the lack of accurate tracking and
compensation - that's another can of worms.  I suppose the only way to
figure out if that is the relevant factor is to look at the books (ha!) of
the PRO's and to analyze incompatibilities between incoming and outgoing
payments.

FR


On 2/18/07 8:15 PM, "Pete" <musical411 at yahoo.com> wrote:

> Hi Mark,
> 
> I understand your logic, but I would think that
> writers of popular song and their publishers would
> benefit from more accurate tracking on TV.
> 
> I'm guessing that popular songs get played more on
> commercials than on TV programming. Tons of
> commercials use hit songs to sell their goods. So, if
> commercials are currently under-tracked, digital
> watermarking would increase the amount paid to those
> works. Then, popular songs would also benefit.
> 
> If one group becomes overcompensated, ASCAP could just
> change the weighing formula. But, at least it would be
> accurate. Who wouldn't want accuracy?
> 
> P e t e
> S u r d o v a l
> 
> --- Mark Northam <mark at gmdgroup.com> wrote:
>> 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.
>> 
> 
> 
>  
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