Small Webcasters May Benefit from Copyright Bill Passed by House

Small Internet radio stations are facing improved odds of survival after the House of Representatives approved a bill to make it more affordable for them to negotiate royalty deals with music publishers and the recording industry. The House voted in favor of the Copyright Royalty Distribution and Reform Act, which would authorize a judge appointed by the Librarian of Congress to hear royalty disputes, eliminating a system that webcasters say excludes them from the process of determining the amount of money they pay to musicians, songwriters and record companies for broadcasting their music.