The leader in a challenge against new royalties for Internet music broadcasts isn't a tiny webcaster but National Public Radio. NPR and the Digital Music Association have filed an appeal against a decision that could force webcasters to pay "unworkable" royalties. Hollywood Reporter has more detailed numbers, but basically, webcasters would have to pay each time an individual listener heard a song, and the cost per song would gradually go up between 2006 (in retroactive back royalties) and 2010. Some smaller webcasters have already added up the numbers and said the royalties could easily put them out of business.
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