Labels, publishers clash over online music

The heated question surrounding the future of online music: who should be compensated? The answer could come as early as Thursday, according to Reuters, as music labels and music publishers square off on Capitol Hill to debate the issue before the House Subcommittee on Courts, the Internet and Intellectual Property. A supporter of the music labels’ cause, Jonathan Potter of Digital Media Association, says: “Companies are trying to build legitimate online services to compete with Napster and the music publishers are the biggest stumbling blocks to that.” An attorney for the music publishers’ cause, Carey Ramos, argues that “the reality is that songwriters have been ignored–or taken for granted–in the debate over distributing music on the Internet.”