Re:Netflix to Acquire Warner Bros
by jameshart on Friday December 05, 2025 @01:35PM
(#46165328)
Music publishing vs radio stations is a fascinating example - compulsory licensing, meaning radio stations are free to broadcast any music at all; even rules preventing radio stations and DJs from accepting payola from publishers to promote their records.
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Compulsory licensing sounds interesting but isn't there a fundamental problem in terms of setting price? Music tends to not have big budget differences. Should a show with a budget of 10k get the same fee as a show with a budget of a $1mil? And who sets the price?
Do you pay a different ticket price to go see a James Cameron movie at the cinema than you do for a Wes Anderson movie?
How does that work?
I think it is fine for thr content maker to set the price ... as long as everyone gets the same price, and the content maker isn't also the distributor (streaming service).
A bedroom produced song versus a major-label, famous-studio song can have insane differences in price.
It’s always been a requirement to make it up in volume of spins. I don’t see how this is any different.