According to the brief, the technology offers consumers numerous benefits, including increased fidelity and more exposure to music.
But, the RIAA’s filing outlines the dangers of unprotected "HD radio". This includes the ability to create free libraries of thousands of CD-like quality songs by “cherry-picking” the music wanted through an automated search function and redistributing songs over the Internet.
The RIAA’s brief argues that unprotected high-definition radio could become a popular substitute for the unauthorized peer-to-peer networks, as consumers could acquire all the music they want from free over-the-air broadcasts with CD-like quality without having to download any software, expose their computers to viruses and spyware or themselves to a copyright infringement lawsuit.
The RIAA’s brief makes it clear that there is no intent to prevent consumers from enjoying “HD radio” as they would traditional analog radio: manually pressing a button to start and stop recording a song. Instead, the group argues for rules that would prohibit “cherry-picking” or the unfettered redistribution of the music.
The standard for “hd radio” adopted by the FCC is controlled by the Maryland company iBiquity Digital.
- from an RIAA Press Release
