Botta Michael The question which I would like to answer in my term project deals with the effect the passing of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act will have on digital transmissions of copyrighted materials, especially as this relates to Internet Radio. My intention is to examine the motivation behind the passing of the D.M.C.A., its advocates, and its opposition. In doing so, I would also like to examine who has the most to gain from the passing of such a bill, and on whom it will inflict the most harm. My primary focus will be on the effects of the D.M.C.A. on Internet Radio, and whether or not the industry can survive the bill's passing. In doing so, it will be important to consider how internet radio broadcasts became popular, who the major players in the industry are, and how much money can be made in such a business. I also intend to discuss the relation between internet radio and standard over-the-air broadcasts, and why they are treated differently under the new law. What I feel will be essential to properly discussing the topic will be knowledge of the far-reaching effects of the D.M.C.A., and the reaction to those effects by the public. One such development which stemmed from public outcry, the Internet Radio Fairness Act, will be important to consider in the context of discussing the public's interest in digital transmissions such as internet radio broadcasts, and their ability to influence laws governing such new mediums. It will be interesting to relate the D.M.C.A. and its effects on digital transmissions to the effects which record companies to desire have on peer to peer file sharing, namely, will the D.M.C.A destroy internet radio completely, and make it impossible for small to mid-sized internet radio stations to operate, or will the medium be treated more like over-the-air radio stations, and be allowed an opportunity to stay in business and to make a profit. To better understand
why record companies have lobbied against digital transmission of copyrighted materials in uncontrolled mediums such as Internet Radio, it will also be necessary for me to discuss any relevant data regarding the influence such broadcasts and transmissions have on music sales, and whether internet radio broadcasts are believed to hurt business, or, as is the case with over-the-air radio stations, are believed to help increase record sales. My goal in creating this term project is to understand the effects the D.M.C.A. will have on such digital broadcasts, and, on a grander scale, on the music ...