Has anybody else heard about this?

[Evolution]

The Music Publishers' Asscoiation wants to crack down on guitar tab and lyric sites. They say these sites are illegal and robbing the music publishers and songwriters. I think this is insane and a bit extreme. Most of the tabs online are people's own interpretation of the song.

http://www.gigwise.com/news.asp?contentid=11524

I hope this does not go through

[Mike]

WOW!

I can understand the tab thing, but if you work it out yourself then what is the problem!

Lyrics, come on now! ANYONE can listen to a song and make out the lyrics.

I think this would have a HUGE impact on GN. Maybe even "News" worthy.

[Alan Green]

I can see where they're coming from - you write a great song and the single would have gone to number one in twenty five countries but your studio engineer's little bro e-mailed it to ten of his mates and one of them uploaded the song to one of the mp3 websites where it was downloaded for free a coupla hundred thousand times before the record company lawyers got the site taken down. Your girlfriend's best mate copied your CD on her PC and a load of her friends did the same, so even if they didn't get it from the mp3 website they still got it for nothing. At least you can hope for a bit of money from the sheet music sales - well maybe not, cos some jazzy has listed to the free mp3 and uploaded a full 100% accurate tab to a tab website cos it makes him look so cool to have got it out before anyone else.

Personally, I know a lot of the tabs on the web are of doubtful quality/ accuracy, but you get the occasional gem and it does reduce the income the writer gets so I guess it's fair game for the lawyers to clock up some chargeable hours spoiling our fun; I mean getting their clients some income.

The only thing they don't seem to have picked on yet is the smartarse jazzy turning up at rehearsal and showing everybody in the band how to play your song - it can only be a matter of time before the lawyers try to get everybody in the band to buy their own copy of the sheet music.

Against that, you still need to get your music heard.

Personally, I think to hit the tab sites is all so petty (bearing in mind that one of my favourite practice techniques is to put the radio on and try to play along) but I think we're going to get bucketloads of this rubbish until someone gives the lawyers a slap upside the head with a large wet haddock.

Best,


A

[TwistedLefty]

this is total BS. whats next royalty checks for campfire singing?

[Alan Green]

this is total BS. whats next royalty checks for campfire singing?

If the lawyers can charge somebody loadsa money for taking it to court, you bet your rear end.


A

[slejhamer]

Harry Fox Agency (attack dog division of the MPA) got OLGA shut down a few years ago ... but then OLGA reappeared and seems to be stronger than ever.

At GN, the ESD would be most "at risk" I'd think.

Notice how Hodge has a disclaimer in every one of his lessons. Not sure if that's good enough protection, but hopefully.

But you'd better download all the powertab and guitarpro files you have an interest in soon ...

[Vic Lewis VL]

The ramifications of such a ban could be far-reaching indeed..........

Would GN be liable to pay royalties on tabs in the ESD?

Could tab posters be sued?

Guitar tablature is not a complete representation of a song in the way that sheet music is, as mentioned above, more of an interpretation...lyrics are a different kettle of fish though, if you print out accurate lyrics I suppose it could be construed as depriving the artist of royalties on the grounds that you no longer need to buy the sheet music....

perhaps I'll print the tab out to one of my songs, and sue myself a la John Fogerty.....



Vic

[Evolution]

I doubt GN will actually be requested to pay loyalties. I'm guessing GN has about 50 songs on here for the lessons. That is kind of small amount compared to other sites that have over 150 000 tabs.

[John Smith]

Uh Oh, people better get started downloading some powertab files...some of those are stolen from published tab books and/or Guitar World.

[TwistedLefty]

crazy eh? you would think that this kind of thing actually helps sell more music.

for instance ~ an unfamiliar song is suggested and the tab is posted, then all the folks here that like the look of it get the cd so they can hear how it's supposed to sound.

i know that has happened to me at least 2 -3 times.

[slejhamer]

crazy eh? you would think that this kind of thing actually helps sell more music.

for instance ~ an unfamiliar song is suggested and the tab is posted, then all the folks here that like the look of it get the cd so they can hear how it's supposed to sound.

i know that has happened to me at least 2 -3 times.

I completely agree with this. I recently bought David Gray's newest album, and I only got into him because someone posted one of his songs in the ESD. I'm also into SRV because of posts on this site ... come to think of it, the recording industry should be paying GN sales commissions!

[Mike]

crazy eh? you would think that this kind of thing actually helps sell more music.

for instance ~ an unfamiliar song is suggested and the tab is posted, then all the folks here that like the look of it get the cd so they can hear how it's supposed to sound.

i know that has happened to me at least 2 -3 times.

That is a VERY good point!!!










Well........ what are you still doing sitting there......... get out there and argue for us!!!

[Dagwood]

Back in the ol Napster days when this stuff started.. I used to download a Metallica song everyday just to spite them, for the principle.

Funny how this never took off in the 80's with Cassette tapes. we always bootlegged our tapes together, hell they even made and sold those Tape to Tape recorder boom boxes...remember? I don't think that would fly too far these days.

This is all just sick.. If Music is art, then shouldn't art be free?? Doesn't mean I'm not willing to Pay the artist to see him perform it live and I don't wanna start a debate.. I'm just venting...

I mean really, this at least in my mind questions our motives these days but anyone with a brain can see the ONLY motivation anymore is MONEY and more of it. Either how to get it or screw someone out of what they do have. I wish these "Up-it-eees" would focus their energies on making this a better place, community, society and add or contribute to something worth-while than trying bust a bunch of kids (mainly) who love their music.

The world makes me sick sometimes..... "No wonder there was Punk Rock".. ..................... OI!

[DemoEtc]

...until someone gives the lawyers a slap upside the head with a large wet haddock....

rotflmfao! That was so visual - like a Ren and Stimpy episode.

By the way, we've had to license a lot of our tunes (for performance rights) through HFA - but that's so we can sell our CDs. Tab and lyric sites? C'mon...that's going too far now.

[Primeta]

...until someone gives the lawyers a slap upside the head with a large wet haddock....

rotflmfao! That was so visual - like a Ren and Stimpy episode.

Wasn't it a Monty Python sketch? Or is my memory already beginning to fail?