Unpredictable. Unfocused. Just like life.

The RIAA complains endlessly about customers actually being able to do what they want with the music they've paid for, demanding that customers pay more so that the artists can be fairly compensated.

But now that same RIAA wants to lower the royalty rate it pays to the artists:

During the period when piracy was devastating the record industry, the RIAA argues, profits for publishers rose as revenue generated from ringtones and other innovative services grew. Record industry executives said there was nothing strange about seeking a rate change that would pay less to the people who write the music.

"Mechanical royalties currently are out of whack with historical and international rates," RIAA executive vp and general counsel Steven Marks said. "We hope the judges will restore the proper balance by reducing the rate and moving to a more flexible percentage rate structure so that record companies can continue to create the sound recordings that drive revenues for music publishers. "

So it's not about the artists now?

Via The Digital Music Weblog.