Billy Joel has added his name to an open letter penned by 125 top artists requesting changes in the royalty structure used by internet radio giant Pandora.
The company is currently supporting the passage of a new law in Congress, The Internet Radio Fairness Act, that would cut artists' royalties for internet radio by nearly 85 percent.
"Why is the company asking Congress once again to step in and gut the royalties that thousands of musicians rely upon? That's not fair and that's not how partners work together," reads the letter, which has also been signed by Rihanna and Missy Elliott.
According to Pandora, however, other media outlets like cable and satellite radio have much more favorable royalty rates, and they merely want a fair shake:
"The current law penalises new media and is astonishingly unfair to Internet radio. We are asking for our listeners' support to help end the discrimination against internet radio. It's time for Congress to stop picking winners, level the playing field and establish a technology-neutral standard," the company said in a statement.
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