Will The RIAA Shut Down Public School Kids From Singing Pop Songs On YouTube?
from the questions,-questions... dept
Dave Title points our attention to a public elementary school in New York City (PS22) that is making news for putting together a chorus that sings various pop songs (and sings them well!). The videos are quickly spreading around YouTube:However, this seems like a video ripe for takedown by the RIAA. These kids did not get the rights to perform this song and they are now spreading their cover for free! This is just the sort of activity the record industry seems to keen on stopping - whether it is a chorus of school-kids or a couple of people doing a karaoke version of the latest Beyonce tune.Indeed. Hopefully the RIAA knows better, but, remember when the Girl Scouts were threatened for singing songs around the campfire?
Of course, the idea that this video could somehow create a direct negative impact to the sales of Fleetwood Mac songs is simply absurd. That won't stop groups like the RIAA from spitting out takedown notices and DMCA claims faster than you can say, "hey, that was cute."
Admittedly, the world of copyright law is beyond complicated but we need to find a way to let people legally play with all the content released into the world. People are going to play with it no matter what so it’s really just a question of whether or not energy is spent prosecuting people or facilitating them. I wonder which choice would make more money in the long run.
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Re: Anonymous Coward
You are indeed a coward. All what we need now is a corporation claiming the air and selling it, so when you breath you pay. Fuck the system!!!!
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I hope the RIAA sends a notice!
If the RIAA files, backlash from public outrage will certainly occur.
If the RIAA doesn't file, then current cases should pay attention as it becomes evident RIAA isn't about "justice", but picks and chooses battles for the sole purpose of recouping revenue. It can also be used as an argument to dismiss any future attempts at a lawsuit.
Either way, the RIAA is between a rock and a hard place.
Karma. One's gotta love it.
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Re: I hope the RIAA sends a notice!
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Re: I hope the RIAA sends a notice!
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Promise
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And isn't that a huge part of the problem? Isn't it an egregious mistake to create a law system that supposedly takes 6-8 years of schooling to understand, and then apply that system to EVERYONE (most of which won't do those 6-8 years)?
It's that complication that allows groups like the RIAA to potentially take legal action against these kids, then when asked they can just shrug and say "Hey, the lawyers said we had to do this".
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Re:
Nicely said! This has been my general position on ALL law for a few years now.
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Re:
The girl scouts story is from 1996.
Once again, someone gets suckered by the Masnick Effect.
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Re: Re:
If you recall, right after 9-11 a bunch of Congressmen and Senators gathered on the steps on Congress to sing God Bless America. I wonder if ASCAP sent the Congress a bill for their 'public performance'?
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Hugh may have just been made aware of that 1996 article, but in no way what he had said was wrong.
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Re: Re:
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Great
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then again, they haven't shown they're a bright point of intelligence over at the RIAA so who knows.....
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Boycott anything RIAA related
There is lots of alternatives to RIAA represented product and purchasing RIAA represented product. Personally I followed this boycott for a few years now - undoubtedly RIAA blames me for lost revenue and would incorrectly assume I was a pirate (but my music purchase have increased but not to the benefit of the RIAA). After all as more 'artist' see non-RIAA products getting more money they will drop the RIAA and follow the money.
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RIAA
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Right now the main thing impacting the sales of various songs is in fact the RIAA and it's HATE on consumers.
Maybe it's silly, trivial or absurd - but many people will buy or not buy on principle.
Seriously - they are trying to tax radio stations to play their crap now. They are more or less stating to the public "if you use our stuff, we will bleed you for every cent we can".
And as far as that goes... I can find other things to do. Most of the music I like, I own now. However; there's still a lot I would like to get - but if it means the RIAA gets a cut - forget it. I'll not help fund their crusade against consumers.
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correction re RIAA
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I'll boycott the RIAA's f---ing grapes until they stop beating up on housing project twelve-year-olds (a few years ago in New York, a child's mother was pressured into handing over $2 grand in a dubious 'settlement' agreement with the RIAA goons) and elementary school children.
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There are a lot of good music out there and bands that don't want to get caught under the RIAA radar.
FUCK YOU U2!
Thank you Stevie, Love your music! Glad to see you on the right side. You were great last Oct in Rosemont Il, Thank you!
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The RIAA is bad ..... M'Kay
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Perhaps you meant ASCAP/BMI?
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Re:
Such is the pressure in the blogosphere to keep pumping out the content that a even a "respected" website will try to drum up a "story" out of thin air like this.
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Re: Re:
So a couple of weeks from now, we will have another anti-RIAA spew from Mike, and in there will be a line like "RIAA is screwing around again, just like when they went after innocent children". It will appear as a fact, when it is really just a series of opinions and unchecked details.
I figure if Mike is so shoddy at checking facts and properly couching his posts, I would have to wonder about his ability to forecast the future of digital media.
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Re: Re: Re:
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call the Harry Fox
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Glee
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Mike ... Before Getting Your Panties In A Bunch...
Your favorite whipping boy, the RIAA, has no involvement whatsoever with these types of uses. Their interest is only in copyrighted, commercially released recordings owned by their members ...
This is a songwriter, music publisher issue.
YouTube has licenses with the performing rights societies (BMI, ASCAP, SESAC) so that aspect is covered...
The only possible hiccup might be with music publishers if the school did not secure a licenses that allow the synchronization of audio with video ... Most schools are careful about handling such details ... and most license for such uses are granted gratis.
I know you feel it is you duty to wake up each morning, stumble out of bed and find something new to be wrong about ... but, your inability to comprehend anything you rant about is getting a little tiresome.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkktZdpjfu0
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PS22
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