Judge Sets Formula for Internet Music Royalties

U.S. District Judge William Conner has established a formula for determining the internet royalties owed to thousands of composers, writers and publishers by Yahoo, RealNetworks and AOL.

Yahoo must pay royalties dating back to 2002 while AOL must cover fees going back to 2005. RealNetworks' unpaid bill goes back to 2004. The amount for each year will vary widely, depending on the amount of music streamed over their Internet services and the usage of their sites. The new formula will also be used to determine the online royalties owed by all three companies 2007 through 2009.

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