If you find yourself having trouble reconciling this with the real world(1), remember that lawyer world is a little different. You might be looking at a version of the "Chewbacca defense" writ large. A solid legal case can be completely illogical in the real world but entirely internally consistent (and effective) in the legal one.
Think of it from their perspective. BMI is essentially an organization of lawyers. This is what they do. If it is possible to twiddle the levers on the legal-political complex and stymie your competitors, why ever wouldn't you? This isn't some dastardly new plot to kill teh intertubes, its the same thing they've been doing since 1940, it just looks really bizarre when done in the 21st century. Kind of like showing up in your 1942 swimming costume for this year's spring break at Daytona Beach.
1) But its my music, on my storage, played on my device! How can that be...
Think of it from their perspective. BMI is essentially an organization of lawyers. This is what they do. If it is possible to twiddle the levers on the legal-political complex and stymie your competitors, why ever wouldn't you? This isn't some dastardly new plot to kill teh intertubes, its the same thing they've been doing since 1940, it just looks really bizarre when done in the 21st century. Kind of like showing up in your 1942 swimming costume for this year's spring break at Daytona Beach.
1) But its my music, on my storage, played on my device! How can that be...