sound recordings

After reading one article after another in which a reporter took Jared Leto's legal arguments at face value (is every single entertainment lawyer on vacation and unavailable for comment?) I hit Google to read up on the law he mentioned: California Labor Code Section 2855.

Pretty big news out of Brussels.

“Providing information to the public is an essential function of a representative government and an integral part of the routine duties and responsibilities of public officers and employees;”
- The Tennessee Legislature

The House Subcommittee on Courts, the Internet and Intellectual Property passed the Performance Rights Act today. Up for consideration is terrestrial radio's exemption from paying performance royalties for the use of sound recordings.

Opposing sides will speak tomorrow before the House Subcommittee on Courts, the Internet, and Intellectual Property. The issue is H.R. 4789, the Performance Rights Act, which calls for terrestrial radio to pay performance royalties for broadcasting sound recordings.

A big topic of the day is the news that Apple is working on a device-subscription bundle that would give buyers of a premium iPod or iTouch free access to iTunes music. So big, actually, that CNBC's "Squawk on the Street" took a few minutes off the Bear Stearns crisis to talk about it. Just check out the action at Techmeme.

• The European Union has proposed extending copyright on sound recordings to 95 years from 50 years. Here's a good overview of the situation and Britain's desire to stick with 50 years and EMI's (read: The Beatles') desire to extend copyright. (Times Online)