SoundExchange, the nonprofit group that collects the fees on behalf of hundreds of major and independent record companies, said on Tuesday that it would give "small" webcasters the option of paying "below market" royalty rates on the songs they play -- that is, by keeping the required royalty rates essentially the same as they are under a 2002 law called the Small Webcaster Settlement Act.

It wasn't immediately clear what the revenue cutoff would be in determining which businesses qualify as small, and SoundExchange representatives didn't respond to requests for clarification, says CNET. What's more, a coalition called SaveNetRadio -- which is composed of webcasters, listeners and artists -- said the idea of offering privileges to companies that keep their revenue below government-set caps would stunt the growth of smaller firms and gut the Internet radio industry., the article adds. The group also argued that by broadcast radio standards, even the largest Webcasters, such as the Internet radio divisions of Yahoo and AOL, would be considered small broadcasters.

The Tools of Change for Publishing (TOC) Conference will explore how technology is sparking creativity and inspiring conversation for leading change in the industry. Participants include innovators from every corner of the book publishing world, who will deliver enlightening keynotes, informative sessions, and useful analysis, shedding light on the challenges and opportunities ahead. Join the conversation! "Macsimum News" readers save 25 percent; you can register [url=http://conferences.oreillynet.com/pub/w/57/register.html]here[/url], using code toc07mac. The conference will be held June 18 - 20 at the Fairmont in San Jose, California.