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From Copyright Alliance - Obama Administration Serious About Jobs, Creators


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http://blog.copyrightalliance.org/2009/12/obama-administration-serious-about-jobs-creators/

 

By Patrick Ross -- "Three cheers to the Obama Administration for hosting Tuesday at the White House a key jobs summit, one involving the jobs of creators and their collaborators in creation. The Associated Press quoted the host of the event, Vice president Joseph Biden, as saying of copyright piracy: "This is flat unadulterated theft, and it should be dealt with," Biden said. "We are committed to making some real inroads - to stop the talking and start the acting..."

 

This is good news. The forgotten victims of piracy are those folks in the record industry working behind the scenes, and obviously artists.

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Who do you think this truly benefits though? I'm not sure what kind of solution the Government will come up with, but it will certainly be geared towards helping the record company execs (read: campaign donors). Pirated or not, artists on major labels usually don't see a penny of their sales. Check out the story of a guy who signed to Warner and sold 15,000 albums along with thousands of downloads: http://www.toomuchjoy.com/?p=1397

 

If you don't feel like reading it, heres the moral of the story...He "owes" the label $395,277.18! (Coincidentally he is also a VP at Rhapsody)

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looks like he "owes" because of crappy contracts and accounting not copyrights.

It's sort of like making chop shops legal b/c of crappy loans from car dealerships

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Pirated or not, artists on major labels usually don't see a penny of their sales. )

 

Yes: 85% of artists signed to a major label never see a penny because more is spent on them (advances, production, promotion, etc.) than they earn. And there are more than 5,000 pro ballplayers signed to the 30 major league teams. Only about 15% of them will ever make it to the majors. Talent development does not equal talent entitlement.

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So any idea how they're doing this, other than $30m worth of arresting college kids using limewire and bittorrent?

 

 

The "arresting college kids" rhetoric is right up there with "pulling the plug on Grandma."

It ain't happenin'

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If they really wanted to do something to protect artists (as opposed to just protecting the big labels), they should start helping ASCAP go after private-market DJs (perhaps by partnering with the IRS?). They are using copyrighted material in a for-profit business without paying royalties. At the same time, these DJs are undercutting live music by under-charging, reducing the number of venues for local and beginning bands. To top it off, I can say that I've received 1099s from clubs and bands many times over the years, but I've never heard of a DJ being forced to report their income.

 

Having been around this business since the 70s, I'd have to say that the advent of the $200/night DJs is the worst thing that has ever happened to live music. The fact that they are being overlooked by the government and can get away with not paying royalties and/or taxes just adds insult to injury....

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Yes: 85% of artists signed to a major label never see a penny because more is spent on them (advances, production, promotion, etc.) than they earn. And there are more than 5,000 pro ballplayers signed to the 30 major league teams. Only about 15% of them will ever make it to the majors. Talent development does not equal talent entitlement.

 

 

That's a good analogy, and a good point. Another is that while a pro football player may actually get signed to a ream for a multimillion dollar contract, his chance of seeing any of it beyond his signing bonus and a weekly paycheck is small, because, like many salaries in entertainment, it is tied to performance and incentive bonuses, and is spread over the life of the contract. When so and so signs for 20 million dollars for 6 years, the chances of him ever seeing most of that are next to none. He has to work his ass off and stay healthy to have a chance of getting what he signed for.

 

Now, imagine having your income tied to performance, but other players, some pro, some amateur, are willing to play your position for nothing. Kind of makes it hard for you to earn any bonuses or performance pay when you can't perform fairly.

 

When someone else is giving away your music for free without your permission, they are essentially taking away your performance and incentive pay. Besides the loss of revenue directly, your chance of getting resigned and promoited are nil.

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If they really wanted to do something to protect artists (as opposed to just protecting the big labels), they should start helping ASCAP go after private-market DJs (perhaps by partnering with the IRS?). They are using copyrighted material in a for-profit business without paying royalties. At the same time, these DJs are undercutting live music by under-charging, reducing the number of venues for local and beginning bands. To top it off, I can say that I've received 1099s from clubs and bands many times over the years, but I've never heard of a DJ being forced to report their income.


Having been around this business since the 70s, I'd have to say that the advent of the $200/night DJs is the worst thing that has ever happened to live music. The fact that they are being overlooked by the government and can get away with not paying royalties and/or taxes just adds insult to injury....

 

 

DJs aren't responsible for paying ASCAP any more than cover bands are. It is up to the venues to do that.

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We might as well have the feds take over the record business. They're taking over every other {censored}in' thing, and seem especially enamored with investing in failure.

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We might as well have the feds take over the record business. They're taking over every other {censored}in' thing...

 

 

Tell that to Halliburton. Apparently, the only thing worth privatizing is war, espionage,airport security, air quality and health care. And prisons.

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Having been around this business since the 70s, I'd have to say that the advent of the $200/night DJs is the worst thing that has ever happened to live music.

 

Apart from any personal musical aspirations - I agree with this from a consumer standpoint. It's virtually impossible to get drunk in front of a live band in my town these days. It's all DJ's or, in some cases, a guy nodding his head enthusiastically behind a laptop running iTunes. Quite the sad state of affairs...

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