Warner Music Selling Indie Videos They Have No Rights Over?

from the well-how-about-that dept

Mon, Jun 5th 2006 3:21am — Mike Masnick

breadboi writes in to let us know that he recently saw that Warner Music was selling a music video on iTunes he directed and helped finance. The band in question apparently went on to sign with Warner at a later date, but that didn't include the rights to the older video. It would be nice if there were independent confirmation that the rights to this video were not owned by Warner. However, assuming it's true, as breadboi writes, this seems particularly ridiculous when you realize that Warner Music, as a big part of the RIAA, is actively going around suing kids for sharing music, while they go and try to sell someone's music and video they have no rights over. Note, also, that Warner's response is basically to say "oops, we'll remove it" (which the article claims hasn't happened yet). However, when they catch some student sharing some music, instead of offering her the opportunity to say "oops, I'll remove it" like they did, they tell her to drop out of school to pay the fine they're pushing on her. Somehow, that doesn't seem fair. Separately, this also fits with a recent article from Billboard about how, in their infinite greed (and lack of any long term strategic thinking), the recording industry is now freaking out over sites like YouTube and Google Video posting music videos. Remember, the whole point of music videos used to be to help promote the act -- and get people to buy more of their music. However, these days, the recording industry seems to have forgotten that, preferring to try to get you to pay for the same exact song again and again and again and again... even if they don't actually own the rights apparently.

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13 Comments

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alternatives, 5 Jun 2006 @ 6:20am

Somehow, that doesn't seem fair.
Well, duh. But when were large corporations about 'fairness'?

"Fairness" used to have a chance in the courtroom, but even that is hard to get.

At what point do the sheeple , after having been squeezed, rebel?
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- JM, 5 Jun 2006 @ 11:24am
  
  Re: Somehow, that doesn't seem fair.
  Never. Sheeple need to become uncomfortable before they'll do anything to change things. That's the trick of it - make the sheeple comfortable with being fucked in the ass and eventually they'll just bend over before being asked to do so.
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terrorist, 5 Jun 2006 @ 7:10am

What's taking so long?
Surely there's a post-columbine loser who hasn't gotten his rocks off yet - the MP/RIAA seems like a much better target than any jock history teacher. Why haven't we seen a cold-blooded assassination attempt on some of the execs or their law firms? Now that would be news.
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wolff000, 5 Jun 2006 @ 7:11am

No Rebels?
Without people to stand up and make some noise the rebellion will never happen. We will soon pay for everything 3 times over and still not really own it. If you want to make change make some noise! The revolution starts when you want it to. This won't be fought in the streets like civil rights it will be online and in the very stores that rip us off. Simply stop buying from those stores and sources that do this to us. I pirate everything from music to movies to games. I haven't paid anywhere near full price for my entertainment in a very long time. People claim I am part of the reason things cost so much; to that I say BS they are the reason. They continue to support a system that doesn't support us. IF we simply stopped buying all the overpriced crap, they would stop over charging or just fade away to allow for more open minded companies to move in. So when do people rebel? Good question have you started yet?
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- William, 5 Jun 2006 @ 7:54am
  
  Re: No Rebels?
  Kudos. Bravo! Well spoken. Time and time again, they try to blame high prices on any scape goat they can. If it were not piracy, then it would be high media costs, high production costs or high shipping costs. The blame does not lie in the scape goat, but in the mass populous that continues to go out and pay the same high prices day after day after day. This isn't just music, or movies. It's over-priced cars, and homes as well.
  
  Pay for your car for 7 years so you can turn around and buy another new one. Cars USED to last.. well.. I still see alot of 70's cars on the roads.. I don't see as many 80's cars.
  
  Pay for your home all your life, and when you are done paying for it, is it something that's still in good enough condition to pass it on to your children? Not without re-mortgaging the home to invest in repairs! Why in America is this acceptable? In Europe, there are homes that are hundreds of years old that get passed down from generation to generation.
  
  IT IS TIME TO STOP BLAMING THE SCAPE GOATS AND FOCUS ON THE PROBLEMS.
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  - The Reverend, 5 Jun 2006 @ 8:10am
    
    Re: Re: No Rebels?
    yes
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Jeremiah, 5 Jun 2006 @ 11:40am

Hyperbole
Don't let the absence of actual facts prevent you from engaging in breathless hyperbole, TD. What a damning indictment of Warner this would be....if it were...y'know, true.
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Anonymous Coward, 5 Jun 2006 @ 11:59am

"Remember, the whole point of music videos used to be to help promote the act -- and get people to buy more of their music. "

Not according to Universal Music. Direct quote from a umusic lawyer who was on a conference call with a friend of mine who owned a music video site:

"We see no promotional value in music videos."

No joke.
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Wizard Prang, 5 Jun 2006 @ 1:19pm

You had me until...
>> I pirate everything from music to movies to games.
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alternatives, 5 Jun 2006 @ 2:59pm

Naw....
If you want to make change make some noise!

Bah. I stopped buying CDs and going to movies.

And I don't DL either from the Internet. Just opted to stop consuming their crap. Voted with my dollars.
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- wolff000, 6 Jun 2006 @ 9:19am
  
  Re: Naw....
  I wasn't downing you just using you to make a point. I know that doesn't sound much better but just didn't want anybody to think I was trying to start a flame. other than the ones that need to be lit under people to start making them realize we are being ripped off by, our government, our banks and the stores we shop in. Bravo to you as well for not buying the crap that is put out at too high of a cost to begin with. One other thing someone posted that I had them until I admited I pirate stuff. Why would my point be any less valid because I do things you don't like? Martin Luther King did stuff I don't like , eating pork for example, but I wouldn't ignore his message because of it.
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alternatives, 5 Jun 2006 @ 3:01pm

speak up then.....
What a damning indictment of Warner this would be....if it were...y'know, true.

Got proof its not true?
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Aaron Halvorson, 5 Jun 2006 @ 7:31pm

That makes me sick...
That is repulsive, but hey they can afford lawyers alot better than 14 year old kids can. It's a sick world we live in...
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