
UB grads will pay $7.5 million for online music rental services, new law says
A graduate of Weber High School in Weber, West Virginia, will be the first to be able to use the services of his or her choosing to rent out their personal music collection online.
Lawmakers approved the bill Thursday in a 3-2 vote.
It will now go to Gov.
Jim Justice, who is expected to sign it into law.
The new law allows anyone in West Virginia to use online services like Spotify, Rdio and Pandora to rent or buy music.
It is aimed at curbing illegal online piracy and helping students and teachers who don’t have access to music at home.UBC grad Joshua Williams has a collection of 1,500 CDs.
He said the new law makes it possible for students to access the music without paying a fee.
“I’ve never paid anything for my music.
I just bought it online,” said Williams, who was a member of Weber’s graduating class in May.”
They just told me to go and rent it and then I did it.
I’m not going to pay any money to rent it.”
Students in Weber are now able to purchase their music through the university’s student rental system.
Students can pay a flat rate of $5 per month.
But the new legislation is not going anywhere, so the new student housing for Weber students is just going to be a one-time-only arrangement.
The law will also allow Weber students to rent private rooms for private parties.
Williams said he’s looking forward to sharing his collection with friends and family.
“It’s going to make me feel really good when I have a little bit of time to play with my music,” he said.UW is a small community with about 2,300 students.
The legislation will also include new protections for students who work in the West Virginia Department of Education, and they will be able purchase and use a “bundle” of music for personal use, and have access in their home.
“We’re making it so that students can be able, if they choose to do that, to enjoy their own music in their own time and in their space,” said Justice.
“Students will have the ability to do what they want with their music in the privacy of their own home,” said Weber School Director of Communications Michael Smith.
“Students will be afforded the freedom to share and create music on their own terms.”
The bill has been hailed by the Recording Industry Association of America, the Recording Producers Guild of America and the Recording Society of America.
It also has been endorsed by several members of Congress.