Update: July 25, 10:30 a.m. We have received word that RIAA has dropped their attempt to put the audio flag on the pension conference report. However, they are now looking at an appropriations bill. It never ends.
How many songs are out there about sneaking around? Pick your favorite lyric.
It appears the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) has been listening, for they appear to be doing some sneaking of their own around Capitol Hill.
We have heard from a number of people that RIAA is attempting to attach language authorizing the “audio flag” to a pension bill now in a Senate-House conference committee. The recording guys are not alone. Apparently many lobbyists are trying to do the same thing with their issues, as this bill may be one of the last big bills to move this year.
The “audio flag” is one of the priorities of Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN), as a favor to his former chief of staff, RIAA Pres. Mitch Bainwol. The content industries have tried to sneak flag legislation through before. In the past, it was on a homeland security bill. It's one of those things in which the industries will keep trying. If there appears to be a mini-frenzy now, just wait until September or October, and the issue will be back.
As for the pension bill, we hear that the people on the relevant Congressional committees who are involved with the pension issue don't want extraneous items, like the audio flag, mucking it up. The only problem is that the final call may not be up to them.