Billy Bragg accuses Google of cheapening music in video royalties row
Posted in: Online TV/Music at 03/04/2009 07:03
The musicians Billy Bragg and Robin Gibb have joined forces with the record producer Pete Waterman, accusing Google of devaluing songwriters amid a row over royalties.
In the dispute, music videos have been taken down from YouTube UK because its owner, Google, says that it cannot afford to pay a fee every time a song is streamed from the video website. In a letter to The Times, the three men say that Google "ascribes little value to music -- in spite of a huge increase in music usage" -- because of its refusal to pay, and called on YouTube to reinstate music videos "and pay a fair price for it".
http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/music/article6018252.ece
