I thought some artists might enjoy reading a paper I presented in 2000 titled “Why Free Agency Matters: The Coming Changes in Record Company-Artist Relations“. This was the beginning of my artist-as-free-agent theory and philosophy. Although I’d probably change some of the reference points if I were to re-write it today, the essential idea is […]
Remember this quote from Dana Wagner, then lead antitrust counsel for Google? “‘We want to be Santa Claus,” Mr. Wagner says. “We want to make lots of toys that people like playing with. But if you don’t want to play with our toys, you’ve got us. ‘We can’t really do evil things very easily – […]
There is much ado about secrecy amongst the anti-copyright crowd these days, power and influence being what it is. Lots of intrigue, mandarins worthy of the great Pooh-Bah himself plotting and scheming to influence the levers of government and tame the great Leviathan. All in the name of consumers, of course. Michael Geist is certainly […]
Please respond if you are a member of Professor Pamela Samuelson’s copyright cabal, we’re trying to get invited to the next meeting.
I was astonished that the financial crisis in Greece got at best lip service on the “Sunday shows” in the US. The complexity of the negative effect on Eurozone economies of Greece’s 125% plus debt to GDP ratios is alarming in this, the sternest test of the Euro and the vitality and wisdom of maintaining […]
I have to recommend a great site hosted by Alan Cross, who is, as we say in my business, like a guy. A solid records man. Explore Music should be on your regular reading list and I hope you check it out.
An excellent post on Huffing & Puffington by Paul Williams, ASCAP president and gifted songwriter. Here’s a key part: “A growing number of creative people — those talking from experience as songwriters or performing artists — are speaking up. They’re sharing legitimate perspectives on why taking content and ignoring copyright hurts those creating the music […]
Unrecouped To be “unrecouped” under a recording agreement means that an artist has received an advance but has not yet earned monies equal to that advance. Advances are a prepayment of (or in jargon, “paid against”) revenue streams that are defined in the contract under which the advance is paid—meaning that if a record company […]
If you follow what passes for intellectual property policy “debate” online, you will no doubt have heard the anti-copyright amen chorus warming up about the lack of public consultation in the negotiation of the Anticounterfeiting Trade Agreement, or ACTA. This wringing of hands and wailing of the amici has particular resonance amongst non-governmental organizations, their […]
Just in case you were ever wondering what a fully realized internal objectification of a human might look like, read Michael Agger’s cliched review in Slate of Jaron Lanier’s new book, You Are Not a Gadget. (In a shining example of fact checking in the new journalism, make sure you read the several retractions and […]
Music Technology Policy 
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