Once thought of by the music industry as a hotbed for intellectual property lawsuits, podcasting looks to be given a little break when it comes to creative design. Sony BMG has announced that it will allow companies to integrate their licensed music into their podcasts for purpose of marketing. Of course, big Sony wont go down without some greenbacks in their pocket, so as long as you pay them what they feel is fair, you're free to use their music in your podcast.
A few companies have already taken advantage of this generosity. Ford and Chrysler both are paying Sony BMG a flat rate fee for license of their music for one year in their podcast advertising. The consumer benefit? These podcasts are free for download and will never expire. So, if you'd like to watch your advertisement propoganda mixed with your favorite beats, feel free to do so at your leisure at the expense of large organizations.
This in itself is a pretty big step from the point of view of the music industry, as it is not a huge secret that many of the podcasts can be stripped of their music and then, in turn, distributed DRM-free on P2P networks. This fact is why podcasting itself was high on the watch list for many record labels. I suppose that as long as the recording industry feels they're getting paid again for already released music from someone, they don't have to waste time and money tracking down those dirty podcasters who potentially leave their intellectual property open for mass public consumption.
Source:
ARS Technica
This in itself is a pretty big step from the point of view of the music industry, as it is not a huge secret that many of the podcasts can be stripped of their music and then, in turn, distributed DRM-free on P2P networks. This fact is why podcasting itself was high on the watch list for many record labels. I suppose that as long as the recording industry feels they're getting paid again for already released music from someone, they don't have to waste time and money tracking down those dirty podcasters who potentially leave their intellectual property open for mass public consumption.
Source:
ARS Technica
