Throw Them In Copyright Jail!
from the misguided dept
The entertainment industry continues to be confused by copyright laws, now calling for people that run web sites with unlicensed lyrics and song tabs to be thrown in jail. No matter how hard Hollywood tries, copyright infringment isn't theft. Even if they set up their own police force, or manage to get the FBI to do their dirty work, the solution to their outmoded business model isn't to throw people in jail, it's to figure out how to compete. The head of the Music Publisher Association says photocopiers were "the big usurper of our potential income". The industry seems to have survived, without throwing copy machines in jail, so it should be able to negotiate the internet as well. The battle over song lyrics seems particularly pointless. Keeping them from getting out "unlicensed" is sort of hard, since, you know, they're sung in the song and everything.Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.
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Let's fight fire with fire
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Re: Let's fight fire with fire
We would still be back in the stone age.
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Re: Let's fight fire with fire
You know what the main use of those lyrics sites is, at least with myself and people i have talked to? Simple.
You've heard a song you really loved but have no clue who it is...
You go to google and type in the words you can remember "and the frog went BOOM!" and up come the lyrics sites, telling you the name of the song, the artist, and the CD. Then you buy the CD.
No lyrics site, no sale of the CD.
I hope they successfully eradicate all lyrics from the web - they deserve the inevitable result: lower sales.
Morons.
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Re: Let's fight fire with fire
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Why do they care?
Song lyrics? I don't even have to try and make them look stuipd on this one...
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corporate intelligence
And it's interesting how this ill-advised "copyright protection" seems to only "help" groups that are already millionaires... are there any efforts on behalf of groups that actually need money?
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On copyright
"2. musical works, including any accompanying words"
I'll agree it does seem pointless, but law is law. If you want to change the outcome of it, then you need to work to change the law itself.
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Re: On copyright
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Sing a Song....
Fair use only allows you to listen to it, you can't copy it, you can't copy the lyrics, and you can't sing along with it.....
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No Subject Given
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I have a very good question...
Sites like www.olga.net, and www.tabcrawler.com produce results that are almost if not exact replicas of the tabs used for most major, and indie bands.
In a sense I can download the latest Metallica tab from OLGA, learn how to play it, play it at a birthday party, or bar mitzvah, and earn gig pay.
Wouldn't that be worse then being able to learn the words to a song?
And if they did somehow get all of the song lyrics off the web would it then be illegal to swap song lyrics on emule, or shareaza?
Would my ISP be getting a John Doe suit sent to my IP address when I'm caught sharing that new Offspring songs lyrics on P2P?
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Throw Them in Jail
Before the printing press there were scribes who copied the written works. It was a paying occupation, a livelihood if you will. After the event of the printing press, and the social and commercial upheaval that this caused. How was the publishing house business model developed? The recording companies "reproduce and distribute" business model is now really obsolete, in reality recording companies are not required. The artist has a direct "reproduce and distribute" linkage to the consumer. The "scribe" is no longer needed, and will have to find another occupation.
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on the other hand...
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Don't They Have Lawyers? Are They THAT Stupid?
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song lyrics = news
"I heard on the radio today and this is what s/he sang:..."
then it would simply be reporting news, not copyright infringement. LOL
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No Subject Given
When will these people finally learn that THEY ARE F***ING IDIOTS?!?!
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