Post by percythewonderant on Jul 1, 2009 15:56:55 GMT
About copyright I understand - truly.....
I was thinking it would be interesting to find out what others thought and I will dig about in the vaults. But to throw a few random thoughts in frinstance.......
From What I remember the Copyright laws are pretty similar for music and art. Always musically obsessed but not always payed enough to live on for my musical abilities I have spent enough of my working life as an artist/illustrator to have been tripped up by the rules of copyright. One can fal foul in many areas, residuals, intellectual ownership and physical ownership of the original item, etc.. I kept a pamphlet which covered the laws pertaining to copyright close to my desk to read to clients. When my copyright was broken I was furious for exactly the reasons you state.
Although on one occasion I had conniptions when my copyright was broken I did actually get further work from a third party from the unauthorised publication and circulation of my work.
I know that as the BBC rarely featured their material on the playlists the folk duo, 'Show of Hands', used to encourage the copying of their material by fans as it got it into the hands of more potential customers.
I for one first heard more than half of Robert Johnsons out put released 'around' the copyright laws. First a white label bootleg album which was widely circulated until it was later released as King of the Delta Blues Vol II by the record company and years later another bootleg of the alternative takes (actually possibly just a tiny independent label) which forced the hand of the Major label into publishing all the known works.
These days people use CDs and DVDs, of good musicians, who will teach the style of a given performer, to learn from, but access to the work of the original master musician is an inspiration.
However much we like to hear the regional inflections in the music we buy, ever since Robert Johnson turned an ear to Skip James, Hambone Willie, Johnnie Temple or the Mississippi Sheiks, people have been learning by listening to records.
How close to the original can we get?
When we learn a tune through the folk process - from a mate etc. it may still be copyright material. Fellow musicians who should have known better, have exploited so many under paid artists. Elizabeth Cotten was Tradd Arr.'d by Nancy Whisky, And Willie Dixon was 'adapted' by Zep.
The publishing rights to so many songs and recordings by writers and performers from the obscure to great stars including Fats Waller and Solomon Linda have been sold for a pittance or a drink or nothing at all. Royalties are still being gleaned from many of those recordings.
There are recordings which have been rumoured/known to exist but ever released because of contractural/copyright difficulties. Is it true that Louis Armstrong and Billie Holiday were recorded performing together? If so I want access to them - for private study if nothing else. Me - I love to study.
What is the copyright situation when tunes that are half remembered half improvised surface as part of a solo? Or as a Beatles intro?
Who checks what & when?
I once played a gig in a pub as part of a quintette we were standing in for another band and the signs outside said 'cancelled'. Apart from the regulars huddled around the bar there were two people in the audience. A couple who sat impassively at a table near the front. At the end of the first set the guy came over and told us that he was from PRS and could we list the titles and composers of the tunes we played? We did our best. He was working so when he left with his partner he took the only unpaid member of our audience with him. Even so I applaud the people who make sure that things are kept fair for the authors of work.
Percy
I was thinking it would be interesting to find out what others thought and I will dig about in the vaults. But to throw a few random thoughts in frinstance.......
From What I remember the Copyright laws are pretty similar for music and art. Always musically obsessed but not always payed enough to live on for my musical abilities I have spent enough of my working life as an artist/illustrator to have been tripped up by the rules of copyright. One can fal foul in many areas, residuals, intellectual ownership and physical ownership of the original item, etc.. I kept a pamphlet which covered the laws pertaining to copyright close to my desk to read to clients. When my copyright was broken I was furious for exactly the reasons you state.
Although on one occasion I had conniptions when my copyright was broken I did actually get further work from a third party from the unauthorised publication and circulation of my work.
I know that as the BBC rarely featured their material on the playlists the folk duo, 'Show of Hands', used to encourage the copying of their material by fans as it got it into the hands of more potential customers.
I for one first heard more than half of Robert Johnsons out put released 'around' the copyright laws. First a white label bootleg album which was widely circulated until it was later released as King of the Delta Blues Vol II by the record company and years later another bootleg of the alternative takes (actually possibly just a tiny independent label) which forced the hand of the Major label into publishing all the known works.
These days people use CDs and DVDs, of good musicians, who will teach the style of a given performer, to learn from, but access to the work of the original master musician is an inspiration.
However much we like to hear the regional inflections in the music we buy, ever since Robert Johnson turned an ear to Skip James, Hambone Willie, Johnnie Temple or the Mississippi Sheiks, people have been learning by listening to records.
How close to the original can we get?
When we learn a tune through the folk process - from a mate etc. it may still be copyright material. Fellow musicians who should have known better, have exploited so many under paid artists. Elizabeth Cotten was Tradd Arr.'d by Nancy Whisky, And Willie Dixon was 'adapted' by Zep.
The publishing rights to so many songs and recordings by writers and performers from the obscure to great stars including Fats Waller and Solomon Linda have been sold for a pittance or a drink or nothing at all. Royalties are still being gleaned from many of those recordings.
There are recordings which have been rumoured/known to exist but ever released because of contractural/copyright difficulties. Is it true that Louis Armstrong and Billie Holiday were recorded performing together? If so I want access to them - for private study if nothing else. Me - I love to study.
What is the copyright situation when tunes that are half remembered half improvised surface as part of a solo? Or as a Beatles intro?
Who checks what & when?
I once played a gig in a pub as part of a quintette we were standing in for another band and the signs outside said 'cancelled'. Apart from the regulars huddled around the bar there were two people in the audience. A couple who sat impassively at a table near the front. At the end of the first set the guy came over and told us that he was from PRS and could we list the titles and composers of the tunes we played? We did our best. He was working so when he left with his partner he took the only unpaid member of our audience with him. Even so I applaud the people who make sure that things are kept fair for the authors of work.
Percy