Music industry targets illegal lyrics sites – threatens jail time

ahhahahha this is getting out of hand. GUARANTEED pretty soon they will be coming after you guys for posting their name in the news section lol

They are going to get to the point that nobody is going to by CDs at all. They will just start listening to the radio.

Yep, I could see a lot of fan tribute sites closing down overnight. I wonder if the groups and artists are even aware of this and I wonder if they will intervene on their fans behalf. What a great way to further screw the public who is already fed up with corrupted CDs that they can't play on their MP3 players and Cds that install malware. Now where are the parents will go to see what lyrics their children are listening to? The music industry already has a very bad relationship with their customers and potential new customers, this just makes it worse.

To be honest I thought those sort of things, lyrics, tab, etc would help the sales of music. When I try to learn and play a song I generally like to play along to the CD, MP3, etc. Admittedly they will lose some sales of guitar tab and such like but I thought the advantages out weigh the negatives.

@lastdon- I pulled all company names. I do not want to draw attention to anyone at a time like this. My intent was to show the impact of such legislation on the Internet model and how we will lose some of the most useful and fun applications due to it. But, I was able to do so this way just as effectively. Thank you for opening my eyes.

You know, this is making me sick. If there's an album I like, I BUY it. If I think it's just "OK", I won't buy it. I can get all of this shit for free, but I buy the ones I really like. This is making me feel like I should not buy anything from them, just to boycott. I think that's what this is leading me to.

This is getting ridiculous!! I cant believe they are so greedy. I dont see any of the big artists on mtv living in a house like mine. The music execs make more money than the artists do. now is that fair? This just makes me download everything i can even i dont even know who or what the artists is. I know one thing, i will never buy a cd again. was thinking of buying a christmas album but not now. this is nuts.

Plus there's ****NO WAY**** they could ever stop this. They are just severing an already damaged relationship with music fans.

@Crabbyappleton I hope you didn't find my post offensevily but the way they are goign even IF we mention the word R I * * we might get sued. lol man these people have nothing else to do , honestly Dont sign a lyric u might get sued U CAN ONLY LISTEN to music DONT SING along people THEY ARE WATCHING!

yes indeed, ban the singing! those damn bastard stealing authors work! and while we're at that, IF by any chance any of your friends hear you singing a song DAMN you'll go to JAIL for pirating and distributing copyrighted work! It doesn't matter that your friends might like it aswell and buy it aswell, noono, it's not like that, you dang PIRATE!

Heck no lastdon! I appreciate your comment. I love those softwares and do not want to see them destroyed, imessed up by naming names to make a point! Good thing it was not up long heheheheheh. But, I hate to say it these sites will go down in the name of capitalism! :c Crabbyappleton "scourge of the RIAA"
[edited by Crabbyappleton on 14.12.2005 18:13]

If a person releases a song that steals from another, only they change ONE note, it's okay. (see "Ice, Ice Baby") So, how many guitar tabs have you actually seen online that are note-for-note perfect? They're rarely, if ever, correct. I usually don't even bother with tab online because I want to play it right. The RIAA can sue you and you can say, "Listen to this" and play it and be like, "See, that's not even right. PISS OFF!" :d

Hey, in the USA, the two music publishing organizations BMI and ASCAP charge businesses a performance licensing fee if they have any form of copyrighted music playing. This includes bars, clubs, etc that have either a live band or a jukebox. Also, business that play music to you over the phone while you're "on hold" likewise have to pay a license fee. If at your place of employment, someone has a radio or cd playing that more than the owner can overhear, technically, they're supposed to pay a license fee. Stores that play Muzak have to pay. It's for "public performance" of the copyrighted music. And they do enforce it, they send agents out to snoop around and see if any place has audible music playing who hasn't payed a license. If they find one, it's lawyer time, they sue. Th only thing that I know of that is exempt is if someone is playing live, original, uncopyrighted mucic. Like a live solo guitarist in a cafe playing his own non-copyrighted songs. These organizations take this extortion money they collect, take their cut off the top, and then distribute anything that's left over to their registered artists. The artists' individual share percentage is related to how their record sales are doing. In other words, the money collected from a Blues club goes directly into the pockets of Britney Spears and Enemaem. Tell me how that's fair.

Are they having a laugh. They can kiss my pimpled ass! I think the RIAA and MPA people should be jailed for having stupid ideas. I'm sorry to start swearing, but they need to stop being so stupid. Edited swear word to "pimpled" I would like to see them kiss a pimpled ass!
[edited by Crabbyappleton on 14.12.2005 20:02]

@Temo- Here in Colorado, the RIAA sued and caused the shut down a popular dance club that played satellite music, as they did not pay the fees you are talking about. The strange thing is this club was in a very small town and I always thought it odd that they even found them in the first place.

Oh well, the portent of the future, an industry that steals on every front, from all!:r

I'm one of those guys who hears a few words of a lyric (or remembers only a few words from a song from long ago), and does a lyrics search to find out the title, author, and album of the song so I might be able to purchase it. Busting sites that defy the purpose of the Internet (research!) doesn't do anyone a favor.

Rather than take the easy and morally questionable option of going after their own customers doing it for personal use to enjoy the music more, why not target the pirates who sell and actually profit from it? Surely they should be more concerned about someone making money from their work and not getting their dues. Rather than a private individual doing it just for their personal enjoyment. How many times do you hear the RIAA claiming to have sued or busted a pirated CD seller? I'm sure a few months ago they even admitted that CD-R piracy was causing more damage than downloading.

In recent years the record companies have been building publishing rights into their recording contracts. So when Joe Blow signs a record deal the record companies also become publisher. My suspicion is that the MPA is just another puppet organization ran by the record companies who are also publishers. So why is it so hard to get artists to tell the major labels to F*ck off and just go to a decent independent lable? It isn't like they are going to get screwed any worse. I wonder how long it will be before someone on TV gets sued for quoting a line from some movie. This shit is so far out of hand it is insane and the friggen public just keeps on putting up with this shit. Incredible!!!

How much longer will it be that the record companys put their people on the street to stop folks singing their copyrighted songs and charge them a royalty fee?
[edited by nailzer on 15.12.2005 02:35]

plz mods, before u react to me... just plz read my whole reaction... as if... well... ok, i'm supposed to "take it easy" but I CANNOT!! these fucking assholes are trying to take away all what's left of the enjoyment of the so called "MUSIC"... NOT ALL ALBUMS COME WITH LYRICS!!!! i used to set beside my tape recorder for hours, trying to decypher the lyrics, and then transfer it to my friends who don't really know english that well, and what about lyrics in other languages!!! don't i have the right to know the meaning??? or "translating copyrighted f**n lyrics" is ILLEGAL... plz just, wts legal for the IRAA.... my whole life is built upon MUSIC.... I AM A VIOLIN PLAYER IN THE FIRST PLACE!!!! and i'm a elec-bass player as well, i get tabs from the net and write tabs by my own so i can reharse it with my friends!!! what do u think Vivaldi or Paganini will say when they see this.... THEY WILL F***K THE RIAA FOR SURE... it's ART you F**** ARTHOLES!!!! IT IS NOT BUSINESS!!! and go get f**D.... as long as the bands are in our side, as long as they care for fans, not selling out like other **** do... no names.. METARIAA.... an underground spanish band that i won't mention the name of.... they need no trouble from such systems.... have emailed me, thanked me for my support, and proposed to send me THEIR FULL DEBUT ALBUM if i cannot by it in here... in this F****N SICK COUNTRY.... so what, are the IRAA gonna sue me??? the band put their demoes on EMule, and i'm a releaser, and proud of it, as i helped this wonderful band to have more and more fans, and i'm trying now to help them out as i can in whatever they might ask for.... some ppl deserve everything... but if u care to give that Britney WHORE an extra funds... then come have a bite of my ass... as i will never download a lyric for that scum.... respectable bands of all respected MUSICAL genres must make their move RIGHT NOW!!! this joke we're living here must BE STOPPED AT ONCE!!! these financially-sickheads have never felt what knowledge, art, and culture and the sharing of it do mean... they deserve a hard lesson... they deserve a disaster in the "MUSIC INDUSTRY" world... let them know that ART IS FOR EVERYBODY!!! WE ARE NOT ROBBING THE ARTISTS... they deserve all the best... QUITE LIKE WE DO!!!! we are HUMAN AFTERALL... NOT SHEEP... and please mods, for god sake, don't delete a word from my reaction... maybe i swore... but GOD!!! that's TOOOOOOOOOOOOOO MUCH!!!! they're F***NG US AND WE"RE NOT SCREAMING!!!! don't we have the "Right" to tell them how we "FEEL" about "IT"..??? or is it illegal as well... just as BREATHING is??
[edited by headquarter84 on 15.12.2005 02:58]

Yeah...iTunes songs don't include lyrics. What can they say about those who want to find out the lyrics in that case? This is getting too retarded.

So anyone who plays copyrighted music on the street will be arrested in the future....:c

@Danny, Are you having fun replacing the expletives with words of your own?. I think you are :P His ass may not be pimpled :+

What about Karaoke? Your singing karaoke and then out of know where RIAA swat turn up and arrest everyone for singing a copyrighted song WHAT a LOAD of S**t die riaa

anyone in the maffia reading this ? well your organised crime arnt you maybe you should go after the mpa riaa and do us all a favour hell ithink even people would chip in

So this means EvilLyrics will be no more use? Damn RIAA, how am I going to be able to sing Japanese songs from now on?

At this rate by next year they will be suing people for saying the name of a band in public, saying the name of a song or cd name out loud, and then they plan to sue consumers and shop owners for saying out load or even just reading the words "MUSIC CD" because that would infringe on their intellectual (Although I see a distinct lack of any intellectual part from the music industry nowdays) property and rights. I know it sounds far fetched, but from what they have been doing in the last few years the truth may end up being stranger than fiction. At least they are really really good at one thing (and it appears one thing only) and that is cutting their own throats by pissing off the customers and inevitably driving themselves into poverty. Like they say what goes around comes around. (And boy have they got a lot of Karma coming back thier way in the years to come). I have not purchased any of their overpriced substandard crap for years now and I will not in the future, I will do as I have done for years, listen to it for free on the radio. And I have NEVER downloaded any music from the internet. They think greed is good at any cost so long as they can make an extra dollar, I think it is disgusting especially when it is morally wrong, and I have boycotted companies like that for years and will continue to do so.

Pretty soon we won't even be able to mention the name of a band online without getting slapped with a copyright violation. And I don't mean naming your website "Such and Such Fan Site", I mean on Yahoo groups, here in the forums or in these news message comments, etc. They'll shut down Yahoo and other sites because Yahoo and others did not pay to use Such and Such's name and they allowed Joe Bleu to post something with that name in the message!:r Oops, Hey Darwin we were saying the same thing at the same time (I did not see your reaction until after I put mine up). Glad to see great minds thinking alike.
[edited by Saruman on 15.12.2005 14:04]

Another point came to mind. I believe the ultimate goal of the music, movie and at some point the book publishing industry will take notice and come on board, is to rent copyrighted material to us. You pay for a CD in the store, take it home and listen to it. After a year, you can't play it anymore unless you renew your license for another year. Movies will be the same way and when they can finally push ebooks off onto people, the book publishers will do the same thing. Newspapers and magazines, I am sure, will not be far behind in this regard. The otherside to this is that, even if, someday, copyrights should expire because Congress finally gets some balls and does not extend copyrights further (perhaps after making copyrights good for 500 years), since noone was allowed to "own" a non-DRM copy, that information just disappears forever, so it cannot really ever become public domain, all you have is a useless 501 year old CD (OK, even a pressed CD prolly won't last that long, but you get the picture). :r

well we can always do what Shakespeare said, and start by killing all the lawyers. I am sure getting rid of those bastards will put a stop to most of this BS.

One final comment, instead of suing 12 year olds and dead grandmothers for alleged music swapping. They will now be jailing 12 year olds and dead grandmothers for alleged lyric posting.

Yo Crabapple, I live in a very small town in the Sierra foothills on the way up to Lake Tahoe. The BMI enforcement agents found a local brewpub that occasionally had live music, and threatened them with a lawsuit. Like I said, they have enforcement agents all over the country looking for places where music can be played, and making sure they are licensed. That includes doctor's offices. It's the music gestapo. They're undercover, and they're everywhere. I think they look for every place where alcohol is seved, and just drop in and check it out. Also, companies that throw a Christmas party, and hire a live band, are supposed to pay a special one-time fee. If you have a band at your wedding reception, you're supposed to pay. The interesting thing, in the USA, it's the hosting venue or organization who is responsible for paying the licensing fees. I hear in other countries, they go after the actual bands who play covers.

TCPA (or 'trusted' computing) will do the rest...

I know they were checking local Pizza joints a few years ago to see if they paid fees for playing CD and tapes! But this crap is too much! JohnnyJT South Philly

Tremo, When my wife and I got married back in '98 we did not have to pay any separate fee to any agency for our DJ. Perhaps its the DJ's responsibility to charge us for it and render it to the proper authorities. I don't know, all I know is that we paid for a DJ and did not have to pay any copyright enforcement agency directly or through the hall we rented (it would have been listed in that contract which was quite thorough, the DJ's contract was not quite thorough, simply something along the lines of: Perform DJ duties on such and such a date for so many hours for $X, DJ is entitled to refreshments, etc., nothing broken down like DJ Duties for Y hours: $X, Copyright enforcement fee [or whatever it wouldhave been called] $Z, etc. and our DJ contract was typical of other DJ contracts that we had looked over). On another note, it has been well documented that some schools and many businesses are no longer singing the traditional "Happy Birthday" song because its copyrighted (haven't seen it sung on any TV show within the past 10 + years either). Now that's one song that should simply be declared public domain because everyone sings it at B-day parties and it is all but impossible to enforce the copyright on it. Now that I think of it, I wonder if I post the words on a website if I'll be slapped with a lawsuit?:d And a case I'd love to see in court is a grandma sued by the RIAA for singing Happy Birthday in a public place to her grandchild. Think what great groundswelling of sympathy for the RIAA that would generate! :d

I humbly apologise for the second post here! Unfortunately, the news just gets sadder and sadder, for apparently, in the crackdown on song lyrics host sites!, WARNER CHAPPELL MUSIC, sent a DMCA takedown notice to an Austrian, Walter Ritter,(Pearworks) about a free piece of software, which is in fact an itunes assistant that searches the web, for the song lyrics, and imported them into itunes display. Warner, it seems offered a formal public apology, as the dmca letter is both illegal and inappropriate in that it contained totally false and misleading unsubstantiated allegations, which of course, if presented to any court, the presiding judge, would have to legally disallow and award all costs against Warner, for filing false legal claims! Or it would appear, that the way the itunes assistant program has been written, any future computer program, using the same/similar features, would in fact be in breach of this program's copyright, and it appeared that someone in Warner Music, was after a cheap way to grab this program's copyright control from the author, either that or Warner Music, is in the belief that the US DMCA, now legally applies to the whole word outside of the continental United States of America, without restriction! A truly sad day!:c

Music industry and movie industry are killing their market. I stopped listening/buying musics from North America. Only time I listen to english music is when I'm REALLY bored and only from a radio. Even TV (much music... mtv) music shows.... I don't even bother watching it. I think someone should just sue the music/movie industry for wasting valuable court time and tax payer time/money. hmmm or noise pollution ^_~; .... stress... etc
[edited by ChocoCat on 17.12.2005 17:53]

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