Classic Rockers Send Their Lawyers After Wolfgang's Vault
from the rock-and-roll dept
About a year ago, I saw a presentation by the founder of a company called Wolfgang's Vault, where he described his plans to digitize the huge collection of classic rock concerts he obtained in buying rock promoter Bill Graham's archives. In the presentation, we were told that in purchasing the archives, Wolfgang's Vault now owned all the rights to the content, and could do whatever they wanted with it -- including streaming audio, downloads as well as selling merchandise around the content. For a while, the site was just selling t-shirts and concert posters, but a few months back they finally opened up the vault so that you could (freely) stream audio of a large number of concerts (mostly from the 70s and early 80s).However, it appears that the folks at Wolfgang's Vault may have exaggerated the rights that they bought from the Graham estate -- at least that's the claim of a bunch of classic rock legends, including the Grateful Dead, the Doors, Led Zeppelin and Carlos Santana, who are suing the company for using the material and selling merchandise without their permission. In the end, this may come down to whatever contracts Graham signed with the bands concerning what he was allowed to do with the content -- though, "streaming it on the web" probably wasn't covered by these contracts considering they were signed at least a decade before the web even existed. Of course, it's amusing to note that the last lawsuit involving Bill Graham's Archives put them on the flipside of the intellectual property world, as they tried (and failed) to sue a publisher for using images of Grateful Dead concert posters in a book about the band without first getting permission. In that case, the court noted that the use was covered under fair use rules, despite the commercial nature of the book. Looks like their aggressive moves concerning intellectual property ownership may be coming back to bite the company now.
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The Grateful Dead always stated
I don't believe that this would have held any water in the past. trading bootlegs and later streaming music was encouraged by the band for over 30 years. It was the fans that promoted the band not some company.
Now they all of a sudden want to have control over what they gave away?
Garcia must be turning over in his grave.
If they win would this allow the countless number of fans will start invoicing the remaining band members for past marketing of the Grateful Dead? I know in the 25 + years I toured I turned many a person on to the band with the free tape or picture and at times the miracle ticket.
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Re: The Grateful Dead always stated
2. Being a long time fan of the Grateful Dead, I realize it is a very sensitive topic for people when the GD starts asking for money for something, but they are a business. Always have been always will be.
3. The issue here has nothing to do with the trading of live dead shows. It has everything to do with what rights were transferred when Graham’s vault was sold.
4. There are likely shows in this "vault" that coupled potentially become live releases under the Dicks Picks effort or video that could be releases on DVD by the Band. Allowing this to be freely disseminated over the net would hurt those future sales. And regardless of what you think, this band has and will always protect that, as is their right.
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Does this person, as a result of his purchase, have the right to do this.
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Re: The Grateful Dead always stated
Why does anyone have to pull crap like that? It seems like every post has at least one comment where someone will find a negative thing and attribute it to the other political party, even though it's not a political issue and doesn't in any way relate to a political party.
Why can't anyone comment without bashing a political party? And why single out the Republicans? There is so much blame on all sides of the aisle that it's pointless to make such a dig. Grow up and stick to the topic.
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Re: And why single out the Republicans?
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Some really great shows streamed there, been liste
Really though, some great stuff there. Check out Robert Plant before his voice got worn down, and it's their first American shows, and they are just some new band, they're not some Legend, their just musicians - fun. There's a 1982 Blasters show - find THAT somewhere else.
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But Bill Graham covered his butt
Seems most likely that the artists who are filing suit are simply interested in staking a claim on any future money to made if they are in fact offered for sale. Interesting to note that one of the participating plaintiffs are members of The Doors who never appear in any of the material that Wolfgang's Vault own!
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The Grateful Dead always stated
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Let us give thanks
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