Blogging with an ASCAP license?
  • fiftycentlighterfiftycentlighter
    A brief question for the community...

    My previous blog, A Fifty Cent Lighter & A Whiskey Buzz was shut down a couple of months ago by the Blogger powers that be due to several bogus copyright infringement claims.  I've kind of enjoyed the break from writing, but now I have the itch to get back in the game.

    My question is this...  I work at a non-commercial radio station that pays fees to ASCAP, BMI, Sound Exchange, etc... all of the people you have to pay to be able to play/stream music on land/internet radio.  If I bring my blog back as a part of the radio station's official website, am I then covered by the various licenses the station holds if I wanted to still post mp3's on the site?  Would I be limited to streaming vs. offering downloads?  I don't want to do anything to put the station in jeopardy.
  • TimTim
    ASCAP/BMI/Sound Exchange in general tend to offer licenses for streaming music (and maybe podcasts), and do not have the authority to allow downloads of songs.

    I haven't read each of their licenses individually but in general each music recording is divided into various licenses. ASCAP/etc can license people to offer streams/radio, the label can sell the physical recording and mp3 in a certain geographic region, etc... It depends on the contracts.
  • squashedsquashed
    You don't deal with criminal organization. If you blog non indie, specially mainstream hip-hop/pop which is to assume you are prepared to be a target, then you structure your blogging as such in the event you get C/D you have various move. From the get go. (defensive/offensive, without revealing your identity.)  Depending how hardcore you plan, you should develop abilities to be really destructive online. depending on what type of music and what audience.

    so, no...it is pretty stupid to have one puny blog, then do correspondence with those organizations. It's like writing a love letter to child molester if you are 16 and asking how to help a molester. You assume they are out to get you and ready to squeeze every penny you have. blogspot.com and wordpress will report you if you serve file. So you have to present your link using various obfuscation method.

     there is no such thing as legal protection, because there are dozens of these organizations in various countries, all have different laws and standards.

    The ultimate move is to have an authoritative blog, where one can definitively say to public what album/artist to avoid.
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