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RIAA going after web karaoke performers
Posted on 22/06/06 17:09 by Torsten
The RIAA is already well known for suing individuals using satellite radios or for illegally sharing music. Since this obviously didn't generate enough work for their lawyers they have now targeted web karaoke singers, who publish their videos on sites like YouTube or Google Video.
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But in the beginning of June the RIAA started going after the creators of these web karaoke videos on YouTube. In most cases - probably meaning all cases - authoring and licensing rights were not settled, an agreement of the copyright owner did not exist. The RIAA although formally probably right, seems to go the wrong way here. They're aiming at a very prosperous part of web culture. The lobbyists are still seeking for ways to make themselves extremely unpopular. But even more it must be highly doubted that their actions will do any good for those they represent with some web videos making unknown songs famous. |
It looks like the RIAA always finds new ways to go after anyone, who in their opinion, illegally use the music of those they represent. Sadly, they don't seem to care about the effects this will have for the artists.
Source: Spiegel Online
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To the RIAA this is no different than stealling the song and putting it on p2p or a website. Its their music and you have to pay then for the right to use any little part, at the price that they think you should pay.
YES please kill Karaoke please hurry do it asap skip p2p work on Karaoke right now put all your lawyers on the case now now now.
Hello this is the RIAA! If you even think about a song consider yourself sued.
Wrong you can think about cd's you purchased but you can't whistle, hum, sing, tap, sleep talk, or discuss it in the pressence of anyone who has not yet purchased the album.
Also singing in the shower to the radio that might be playing a song you purchased is forbidden because typically songs on the radio are edited for profanity and also since there is some quality loss in between the sat and your radio it makes the song completly different from the one you purchased thus you don't own the rights to it.
Agree! But if you think about a song you just MIGHT mistakenly Hum sing tap etc,So therefore it must be considered a future thoughtcrime which cannot be allowed.
so if the RIAA owns the right to the music they can sue right? but if they don't do they still sue lol
and that dude is performing and moving his lips, KARAOKE is actualy when there are NO WORDS in the music just the instruments..
what this man was doing it
LIPSncyING... UNLESS that is a crime as well? and showing his dance moves on a CHAIR.
PLEASE RIAA GET YOUR TERMS RIGHT.
"Wrong you can think about cd's you purchased but you can't whistle, hum, sing, tap, sleep talk, or discuss it in the pressence of anyone who has not yet purchased the album."
Actually, psychoace, your'e wrong. According to the law, you are not allowed to share the music even if you're friend owns the same record. Furthermore, I've heard that the RIAA is going to sue mothers who sing lullabies to their babys if they don't pay royalties upfront.
Pathetic. People need to flat outright stop buying music. Let the record industry go bankrupt.
Don't they get it ??
We all do whatever we want everyday anyway !! .....LOL
A while back I read somthing about some company owning the rights to "happy birthday"????
Anyoneremember this?
Yes, Mpeace, these two old sisters do own the rights to "Happy Birthday" -- and it's only when the song is used in movies that they go for the royalties. Your kid's party will not be affected.
Is O-Zone represented by the RIAA? Would we have ever heard 'Dragostea din Tei' without Gary and his fun video? Does the RIAA somehow believe artists are being denied a profit by karaoke performances in web videos, rather than gaining a profit by having artists' music gain popularity?
And if they're goin' after karaoke on video, William Hung had better watch his ass. 
Come on snipers, where are you ?
RIAA, please collectively drop DEAD!
This is just the tip of the iceburg.
In recent years the RIAA members have been packing publishing rights into recording contracts with artists. This means that record companies not only own the recorded product, but they have partial rights to the written compositions too.
This scheme allows record companies to enjoy the profits from their recordings and it further allows them to receive royalties on every musical composition in their publishing catalogs. So if an artist records another artists songs with another label the record company still gets publishing royalties and claims copyright to the song itself (not the new recording). If someone publishes a song book, lyrics or sheet music the record company gets publishing royalties. If a group performs a song live the record company gets royalties.
The problem that this will eventually lead to is that even if a Karaoke singer records his own backing tracks he is liable to the record company that has publishing rights. Often these royalties are collected by ASCAP or some other organization, but you can imagine what a tremendous source of income these publishing rights are when a record company has a massive catalog of compositions in their catalog.
Any guess on what is going to be next on the agenda? My money says that the RIAA will take up suing Karaoke performers and the local bar band that decides to throw a party and play a few cover tunes.
The public needs to understand that the RIAA members are not about providing music to the world. They are about money. Presently they seem to be on a campaign to use every resource (including suing anyone they can) as a means of incresing profit - even if they destroy the love of music, fair use and plain old common sense.
The only thing that is going to stop this is the public refusing to accept the behaviour. So far the public is doing just the opposite. As long as the RIAA members actions are supported through the profits their actions generate things will only cointinue to get worse.
We have a society full of sheep and there is no sign that people are going to wake up or even care.
[edited by rla on 23.06.2006 02:03]
[edited by rla on 23.06.2006 02:03]
If you use to sing at the bathroom, be awere and avoid the RIAA listens to you...unles you sing your own music and didn't sell its rights!!!
Next up: freestyle rapping.
IT'S CALLED CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT #1!!! How could the RIAA remove everything that America stands for??? They might as well burn the Constitution and run the government! It'll be a sad day when the RIAA has the final word on EVERYTHING.
"How could the RIAA remove everything that America stands for?"
With money silly. The guys that make the laws are bought and paid for by big organizations like the RIAA.
I mean look. It is illegal for the government to negotiate lower prices with the drug companies for seniors on medicare. Illegal!
What about all those protesters in the 70's that sang, "All we are saying... is give peace a chance."?
... the RIAA probably has their names and they'll be getting their notices soon. So much for their retirement.
By
jim and jon (guest),
Tue 17 Jul 2007 18:08
I have a multiple personality disorder. If I sing to myself does this count as a public performance and will the RIAA throw me in jail? Sorry I mean, us.
By
Zina (guest),
Sun 30 Sep 2007 21:26
Okay.
Im a musician, Ive written music and Ive hired the RIAA, ASCAP and BMI to collect royalties due me when someone else records, prints or performs my song. Between touring, writing and recording I dont have time to try to collect these royalties on my own -- and how could I possibly?
Are you all saying I dont deserve to earn royalties on the music Ive written?
Are you saying I should only have the right to earn a percentage of CD sales of my music, which are minimal now due to free access on the internet? After those measly CD sales, my music should be free for any type of use from then on?
Are you saying since the internet now exists to distribute my music for free so easily, that stealing is no longer stealing? You act like you're stealing from RIAA when you're stealing from me! They receive a percentage of my royalties for the services they provide to me -- but it's my royalties you're stealing. You say you hope the music industry goes bankrupt -- you're talking about hoping I go bankrupt, because there is no music industry without musicians. I write songs and everyone else latches on to get their cut to get those songs to you.
As musicians, you want us to keep creating music for you to enjoy, but you dont want to pay for it?
How much longer do you think I can keep writing music for nothing?
Zina If you do not want people to perform and sing your music, then DON'T publish a karaoke track for the music, this is ridiculous, besides you dont need no money for performing your art, there is a saying "Starving Musician" we got to keep that one going.
IF you love making music you do not piss and moan, you get another job on the side and do what you love. 
Zina, I've purchased several original CD's after hearing a song at Karaoke. Karaoke has made a lot of songs known that people didn't even know they existed. If I buy a CDG and you get the royalties from my purchase then why would you have a problem with me singing along with your song for my pleasure as long as I'm not making any money off it? I think the music industry is getting extra greedy and it's going to eventually kill the music industry.
By
Mike Shy (guest),
Tue 9 Sep 2008 03:54
CHECKOUT - http://www.theacademyexperience.co.uk The Uk`s 1st Licensed Online Karaoke Performers Website,... so get practicing coz Who knows,...... One Day It Could Be YOU! - Have Fun. The ACADEMY Team
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