Unlike many early rock performers, Mr. Hawkins owned the copyright to his songs, including "I Put a Spell on You," which brought royalties when it was recorded by performers including Nina Simone and Creedence Clearwater Revival.
While publishers tear their hair out over slender profit margins and worry that the Internet will be the end of books as people know them, Mr. Epstein says he believes that the Web will save the book business, enable books to be published more cheaply, and bring bigger royalties for corporations and authors.
Pandora, which supports the bill, along with Clear Channel Communications and various technology groups, say it believes that such a change would bring its royalty obligations in line with those of other digital services that pay less, like satellite radio.
By that time it had already sold over a million posters and today it still brings in royalties of half a million pounds a year, or enough cash for Vettriano to buy a horse and name it The Singing Butler.
The Middletons had a new house built on Highland Road near the campus, and an oil field was discovered under their property, bringing them royalties that would pay for their property many times over.
A chart-topping single could once be counted on to drive big sales of full albums, which bring in greater royalties.
Most patent holders want people to do research on their genes in hopes of finding a drug, which would bring really big royalties, he said.
By doing so, they say, this will ensure that more compounds make it into human trials, bring extra licensing royalties into the institute, and, ultimately, improve the lives of patients.
Bob Donnelly, an entertainment lawyer, said he brought the royalty matter to Mr. Spitzer's attention.
