In The Midst Of A Pandemic And Widespread Unrest, Senate Republicans Think It's Time To Use Copyright To Make The Richest Musicians Richer
There's kind of a lot going on in America right now -- what with widespread protests about police violence (leading to more police violence), and we're still in the middle of the largest pandemic in a century. You'd think some of those things would be priorities for Congress, but instead, Senate Republicans have decided that now is the time to pushing ahead with helping Hollywood by examining how to make copyright worse. Even the Washington Post is completely perplexed as to how this could possibly be a priority right now.
I don't think we have yet felt the urgency of acting immediately" on further help for those devastated by the pandemic, McConnell said two weeks ago. Now, with 100,000 dead and 40 million out of work, he still talks of waiting a month.
So what makes Senate Republicans feel the urgency of acting immediately? What would make them Take It to the Limit?
Don Henley would.
Actually, I can. The Eagles singer and drummer has been summoned by the Senate Judiciary subcommittee to testify Tuesday about the functioning of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act's Notice-And-Takedown System."
Henley, of course, is one of the wealthiest musicians in history, considering that he was a founding member of the Eagles, a band that literally has both the best selling album of all time AND the third best selling album of all time. Yes, in the top 3 best selling albums of all time, Don Henley's on two of 'em.
If Don Henley is hurting for money, I'm going to suggest that it ain't copyright that's the problem. But this is the same Don Henley who has been attacking the internet for at least a decade, when he whined that it was all copyright infringement that anyone might take any of his songs and build on it in doing a remix or a mashup.
Henley blasted all unauthorized uses of his music, whether by politicians or just amateurs making remixes, mash-ups, and similar unlicensed uses on sites like YouTube. "I don't condone it," he said of such practices. "I'm vehemently opposed to it. Not because I don't like parodies or satires of my work. But it's simply a violation of U.S. copyright law."
[....]
"People in my age group generally don't like it. Songs are difficult to write; some of them take years to write. To have them used as toys or playthings is frustrating."
Really, none of this makes any sense. You'd think (1) that right now wouldn't be the time to focus on copyright, (2) that Republican Senators wouldn't be in such a rush to aid Hollywood (which is generally not known for its support of the GOP), and (3) that of all the possible people to testify, they'd pick a rich rocker who's big complaint about the internet is that it allows the kids these days to be creative. But for whatever reason, this is what the Republican leadership in the Senate feels is most important right now. Helping super rich rockers who dislike the kids get even richer at the expense of the public.