The US Copyright Office has issued a ruling that allows
webcasters to participate in arbitration proceedings over royalty
payments despite ensuing legal action against them. The Recording
Industry Association of America (RIAA) filed suit against six
internet radio stations earlier this year alleging that their
operations breached US copyright laws.
The legal action between the RIAA and the webcasters focuses on
the question whether these particular internet broadcasting
services are interactive insofar as listeners have a limited power
over the choice of music broadcast. The RIAA alleges that their
interactive elements leave them in violation of the US Digital
Millennium and Copyright Act.
In ruling that the webcasters should not be excluded from
pursuing their interests through arbitration, the federal
regulators of the Copyright Office avoided making an official
statement on the concept of interactivity. This issue has been left
for fuller consideration in the Federal Courts, which has pleased
the webcasters trade representative, the Digital Media Association
(DiMA).
