Song lyric and tab sites face legal crackdown
The music industry is to extend its copyright war by taking legal action against websites offering unlicensed song scores and lyrics.
The Music Publishers' Association (MPA), which represents US sheet music companies, will launch its first campaign against such sites in 2006.
MPA president Lauren Keiser said he wanted site owners to be jailed.
He said unlicensed guitar tabs and song scores were widely available on the internet but were 'completely illegal'.
Mr Keiser said he did not just want to shut websites and impose fines, saying if authorities can 'throw in some jail time I think we'll be a little more effective'.
Yes! Jail the evildoers for their heinous crimes. 20 years in the slammer should stop these music peddlars in their tracks and prevent the corruption of children who try to learn to play music
posted by McFox :: Link
3 Comments:
I've got to disagree with you here McFox. I think that people who download unauthorized lyrics and music should be held accountable. If you're a songwriter, musician, writer, ect..., you don't want your bread and butter spead on someone elses toast. Even though most well known artists are famous and can take a hit in the pocketbook in the form of lost revenue, there are artists out there who are struggling, and need the revenue from every piece of their work they sell.
Most of the old Motown artists never made the millions they deserved simply because they were cheated. Cheated out of their royalties because they sold the rights to their work to managers, and record companies for pennies. Same action just a different method.
(((hugs)))
Ta...Fox
You mention Mowtown. That's kinda the point, Moni. None of the people who got their greasy paws on the rights and money found themselves in jail because of it. Why? Because the artists signed away their rights all legal and proper. It may not have been nice or moral but because it was done using lawyers they got away with it.
I'm all for paying the musicians and writers their dues. I do think the sites that provide the information and make money from it should have to pay something. After all, they're making money from the work of others so it's only right and proper they cough up some cash. Jailing people is surely overkill.
Here's a real life example of downloaded music tabs:
my son who's learning guitar and quite gifted will nag me to get him such and such a tab for a song so he can learn to play it. If he asks me for more than one tab for a particular band, I know he likes them and will want to play their music. When I'm able to, I will purchase the published guitar music book, plus the music CDs, earning income for the musicians and writers involved. Without the tab from the internet in the first instance, I would never have purchased the music books nor the CDs. I've bought half a dozen books in the last year alone.
I would argue that in this day of internet and information transfer, their has to be enough of a free incentive to pique people's interests. For example, free music tracks that people can download and enjoy. A real life instance of this I would cite would be a musician called Butch Walker. He has free tracks available on MySpace.com (I'd recommend "Best thing you never"). Without them I would never have listened and would not be planning to buy an album next time I get the opportunity.
I don't like the idea of struggling artists being ripped off but to my mind it's the biggest artists who have their music downloaded, not the struggling ones.
:)
Point well taken McFox. I too am trying to learn the guitar(I suck at it) and so is my daughter if she'd apply herself. The music books for various artists are quite expensive. I paid about $20.00 for my Elton John.
Anyway, I seem to be rambling, I was not referring to a kid whose wanting to learn to play the guitar, I was referring to other musicians who play professionally that will use those chords and tabs to earn money. The internet can't discern one from the other.
That's great that your son shows promise, maybe one day he'll make Hendricks look like an amatuer.
I really should not post comments when I'm tired. The comment about the bread and and butter...sounded like blither. My cup blitherith over. ;)
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