Filed under: Audio, News, Web services
Music publishers want to jail lyric-site operators
Looks like pearLyrics creator Walter Ritter may want to count himself lucky that he got off with a cease and desist. The music publishing industry has announced plans to go after copyright infringers in a big way, and they want to jail the operators of web sites that publish song lyrics and sheet music. Authorities should "throw in some jail time I think we'll be a little more effective," Music Publishers Association president Lauren Keiser told the BBC. While this is a case of a business having an apparently legitimate complaint — sheet music and lyrics are copyrighted works — the response appears to be typical music-industry overkill. Let's just hope the publishers stick to their plans to go after "very big sites," and doesn't start demanding that teenage kids who run Britney fan sites be dragged off in cuffs. (Then again, maybe a little jail time is what they need to convince them that their taste in music is questionable at best.)
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Victor Agreda, Jr. said 1:58PM on 12-09-2005
As if they couldn't get any dumber. Earth to record companies: people often buy a song after looking it up via lyric searches. That song you half-remember? A quick search, and you find the artist/title. You go and buy it. A sale!
Yes, we better shut that down fast. While your at it, be sure to hire roving armed gangs to shoot and kill anyone *singing* songs. Remember kids, music isn't for your enjoyment-- there's profits to be made.
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Jonathan said 2:01PM on 12-09-2005
Absolutely outrageous... haven't these people heard of libraries where people can go and read information for free???
-Jonathan
http://philoneist.com
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Ben said 2:46PM on 12-09-2005
Wow...now you can't even get lyrics?? OMG!
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John said 3:47PM on 12-09-2005
That's so retarded, but with the already-crowded prison system the way it is, I can't believe any D.A. would waste his time trying to send some kid who posts Eminem lyrics on his web site to jail. Send it to a jury and there's no way they'd convict.
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Phizm said 5:26PM on 12-09-2005
So, when will actually hearing these lyrics become illegal?
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AFD said 5:41PM on 12-09-2005
I agree w/Victor.. online lyrics have actually helped me find songs that I've heard on the radio, where the song title was forgotten or unannounced by the DJ. Other than my few failed attempts at boycotting the music industry, I would then be able to go and purchase the CD that I was looking for.
On a side note - some of the folks that transcribe these lyrics should be thanked by the RIAA for actually deciphering some of these songs (mostly rap, but artists from other genres as well).
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shandar said 6:39PM on 12-09-2005
Well, the RIAA doesn't have any power here in Europe, so many lyric sites will remain live for many years to come. Thankfully almost nobody here takes the RIAA seriously :-)
The RIAA jailing and suing people everywhere because they listen to music isn't exactly helping the image of the US right now. Everything in the US seems to be going one step too far, but that's another discussion not to be held here...
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