Tablature and Lyric sites sued.

[Resident Darkness]

The music industry is to extend its copyright war by taking legal action against websites offering unlicensed song scores and lyrics.
The US Music Publishers' Association (MPA), which represents sheet music companies, will launch its first campaign against such sites in 2006.

MPA president Lauren Keiser said he wanted site owners to be jailed.

He said unlicensed guitar tabs and song scores were widely available on the internet but were "completely illegal".

Mr Keiser said he did not just want to shut websites and impose fines, saying if authorities can "throw in some jail time I think we'll be a little more effective".



http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/4508158.stm

Somewhat old news, but I didn't see a thread about it. Thoughts?

[Rizon]

Its a load of crap. I hate it.

Its the companys own fault for charging a stupid amount for one tab book. eg £12.99 for RHCP Blood Sugar Sex Magik.

I want them to stay, i love to randomly go on, print some tabs and learn.
Anyway, how are they going to police this sort of thing anyway?

[Fiend]

Those kind of sites are technically breaking the law, but the MPA's actions are inane. Only a small number of bands have sheet music out for sale.

[Rizon]

I pretty sure the bands dont sell them. Companys basically get the rights for selling tab merch.

Who cares if they are breaking the law? It means more and more people can pick up instruments and play there favourite songs. I remeber when i did it for the first time, Got my guitar, got toxicity and learnt it. Now if that wasnt avaliable, it would be a massive put off, paying nearly £15 just for a book of tabs, and most of it not of what you actually dont want to learn?


hmmm tis 1:24am, maybe i should get round to sleeping sometime.

[Generic Wheaties]

Is this why I can no longer access www.mxtabs.net?

[Viper]

I get a redirect to musicianforums so it's possible.

The MPA will lose most lawsuits and possibly all of them. the swapping of the data is so common now that who originally stole it is impossible to trace.

[kaphwan]

People tab the songs themselves. There's a disclaimer in each of the tabs I've gotten.

"X song by Y artist, tabbed by Z"

That isn't a breach of copyright is it?

[Mathx]

Can they lop off my ears if I try and play the song by ear?

I seriously hate this empire over creativity, they'll fight for anything...

[Spatula]

It's proposterous to sue for lyrics. All credit is given, etc.,etc.

I understand why they don't enjoy tablatures, but it's still extremely silly. It's people figuring it out on their own and then sharing it.

[dork]

I love printing out tabs and playing. This is just silly.

[Omega]

Oh come on, this is retarded.

[Rizon]

Is this why I can no longer access www.mxtabs.net?

Correctomongo. And the same reason i cant get stuff off www.taborama.com

Bah

[Gopherchux]

money...

Money!

MONEY!!!

they just want more sales of their tab books so they can make more money. It's that simple and that's the ONLY reason they're doing this.

[Rizon]

Okay,
I was in a music shop yesterday, and i looked at all the tab books prices, and they are seriously out of price. But that shop was like worst shop ever, run by the most evil twat EVER!
but they are still between £10 - £20 a book. stupid prices.

[orcus116]

www.ultimate-guitar.com is still putting up the good fight. They've got Guitar Pro and Power Tabs tabs on their as well.

My perspective is that most, if not all, tabs on the internet at not 100% correct to how the artist plays it so technically the people tabbing it are putting their own spin on the song taking it out of copyright range. The best comparison I've heard is that tabs are like a paint by numbers version of the Mona Lisa, whereas the songs played by the artist are like DaVinci's Mona Lisa.

[Generic Wheaties]

I HATE using ultimate-guitar. It's not even as organized as mxtabs. Whatever though, www.bassmasta.net is still up and I love them.

[Gilly]

ghey.

[Breakpoint]

that is really messed up, they belong to the artist still!

[Mirai]

Not if the contract doesn't say so.

And most bands are too retarded when they sign their contracts to accept less money for the right to own their originals.

[Miyahon]

I think this is frivolous. If they keep having suits ike this they will never take any of their suits seriously.

[Mirai]

Omega, open up an E-mpire Tab Site, would you?

Fuk tha police, and such.