Karaoke Forums

Bird, nobody in this world is PERFECT. C'mon, give 'em a break. Even our politicians that we vote for aren't perfect. Besides, the Eagles thing was like 20 years ago. Like you've never made a mistake in your life. Not trying to start an argument with you (or Chip) but c'mon. Give a little.

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My first choice IS Sound Choice.

It may have started 20 years ago, but it's still going on now with custom disks.

Sure mistakes are made. If a mistake was made 20 years ago and then they pulled the remaining content and did whatever else to satisfy the IP owner that's great, but if that was the case should they still be selling the same content on a custom disk?
[url]
http://www.mykaraokecdg.com.au/customer ... for=eagles[/url]

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My statements, opinions and conclusions are based on my own personal experiences, observations, research and/or just my own $.02. I'm not a "cheerleader", but that doesn't make me a Pirate.

Skid,

My point was not to trash Sound Choice, they certainly do have some of the best tracks available, but the further we get away from them producing music, the less relevant they become. Not trying to start a fight or disagreement. My point was, I can build a decent library without using them or Chartbuster. I'm not going to subject my business to someone who sneaks into my show, sees a logo and files legal action against me (that will never be erased from an Internet search) without any other evidence or cause other than that I have a computer.

If others want to use their tracks, it's a free country. If my selection is not good enough to satisfy my customers, they'll go elsewhere, and my show will be terminated by the venue.

By the way, don't think I've ever had anybody under 30 ask for a specific brand, they just sing the song on the screen.

Nah even BC stated that they had produced the disc and released (just like they had done with all discs up to that point) while they were waiting for licensing. That was the first disc they were denied licensing & immediately pulled it. After that they changed the way they released discs after license approval.
Why 8125 is the one people seem to get hung up on is beyond me. It was made - yes they jumped the gun, it was pulled within the same year. Ooops.

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LIKE Lonman on Facebook - Lonman Productions Karaoke & my main site via my profile!

Because they aren't as educated. The ones i've explained the differences to do notice when they bring in a crappy manu, I have show them the musical difference and many didn't even know there were more than the manu they had. But we've also had 21 YO's walk in on the 21st B-day with their own library as well.

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LIKE Lonman on Facebook - Lonman Productions Karaoke & my main site via my profile!

How can you say it was pulled if its currently available from SC as a custom disk?

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My statements, opinions and conclusions are based on my own personal experiences, observations, research and/or just my own $.02. I'm not a "cheerleader", but that doesn't make me a Pirate.

Skid,
Here's something you (and others) fail to take into account:
It cost BIG BUCKS to produce a 15 song disc when you include the costs of the studio musicians, engineering, graphics, packaging, pressing, shipping, marketing, building rent, insurance etc..... (I'd love for Kurt to say it doesn't)

If YOU were a manufacturer, would you invest the THOUSANDS of dollars it would take to produce these "1,000 discs" WITHOUT a rock-solid contract/license to do it? I don't think so. BTW, the retail price of that disc when it was sold was $39.00 each meaning a gross income of $39,000.00

Most distributors will get a 40% margin so their NET receipt is around $23,400.00

Let's add to that, the TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY FIVE songs they were sued for not licensing from one publisher alone...

So don't try to minimize and sugarcoat their questionable (illegal) business practices by calling it jumping the gun on a "small handful" of anything....

It was never an oversight OR a "mistake" no matter how you try to justify it.

Chip's pretty much on the money with his last post. SC, Chartbuster, and Stellar didn't "oops," they decided they could get away with just a compulsory mechanical license for the music.

Unfortunately, the loophole they thought they found didn't exist. The appellate decision stated: "Tracks' contention that CD+G's are phonorecords” and thus the video aspect is within the grant of its compulsory licenses can be disposed of quickly.

The plain language of the Copyright Act refutes Tracks' view. Phonorecords are defined as objects on which “sounds” are fixed; CDGs however, are objects on which sounds and visual representations of song lyrics are fixed. Moreover, the term phonorecord expressly excludes “audiovisual works,” yet CD+G's constitute “audiovisual works,” since they “consist of a series of related images”-the lyrics-“together with accompanying sounds”-the music. 17 U.S.C. §101."

If you'd like to read the whole decision, you can find it at http://caselaw.findlaw.com/us-2nd-circuit/1074380.html

It's very clearly and plainly written, and very enlightening.

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Dave's not here.

If it were one incident, 20 years ago, I'd tend to agree with you. Unfortunately, there's a whole string of cases across the last 20 years involving all four major US karaoke manufacturers (SC, CB, Stellar, and MMO Group a.k.a. Pocket Songs). Some these cases were initiated as recently as 2009. To ME, that's a pretty conclusive pattern of trying to skirt the rules and rip off the artists. If they were to license one of my songs (LOL dream on!), I'd be watching 'em like a hawk.

In contrast, I've been totally unable to find ANY type of infringement action against Tricerasoft, Sunfly or Zoom. Nada. Zip. Zee Row. And THEY offer downloads! That's a comforting thing to know if I ever write a hit song.

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Dave's not here.

Did SC ever get permission to release any Eagles tracks?

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My statements, opinions and conclusions are based on my own personal experiences, observations, research and/or just my own $.02. I'm not a "cheerleader", but that doesn't make me a Pirate.

Not from the Eagles.

They did produce a disc named "R.B.T.L." (read between the lines) that was Eagles songs with NO graphics/lyrics....

So this "http://mykaraokecdg.com.au/"website selling SC Eagles songs on a custom disk isn't legal?

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My statements, opinions and conclusions are based on my own personal experiences, observations, research and/or just my own $.02. I'm not a "cheerleader", but that doesn't make me a Pirate.

The disc itself was pulled and has not been available since 94 or so. Remember their custom stuff is UK licenses and only was made available since last year.

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LIKE Lonman on Facebook - Lonman Productions Karaoke & my main site via my profile!

It looks like SC made a lot of the songs on the GEM Series available to mykaraokecdg.com.au for custom disc. ~ The GEM Series have Eagles songs available but only to KJ's.

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"Just Say NO, To Justin Bieber & His Beatle Haircut"

Which is another way of SC saying; "We don't care what the artists want, we'll go to another country and sidestep them there to profit off their work."

Whatever floats your boat I suppose...

....

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LIKE Lonman on Facebook - Lonman Productions Karaoke & my main site via my profile!

So the SC Eagles stuff is now legal for use provided you bought it with the GEM series or via that site?

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My statements, opinions and conclusions are based on my own personal experiences, observations, research and/or just my own $.02. I'm not a "cheerleader", but that doesn't make me a Pirate.

I'm with you Lon!

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"Just Say NO, To Justin Bieber & His Beatle Haircut"

That appears to be the case!

So for around $73 + Shipping you could re-create SC8125 that could be sold to anyone, not just KJs which the GEM is designed for & which is in mp3+g format. If you made the custom, the bit rates would be in cdg/bin, obviously.

You could pay at least that much for an original 8125 disc on ebaY if available!

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"Just Say NO, To Justin Bieber & His Beatle Haircut"

I have no idea about the legalities. Nobody here know for sure, they ALL only guess and speculate as to the legalties. I'm sure they will have a more fulfilling answer for you as to the legalities from their expertise.

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LIKE Lonman on Facebook - Lonman Productions Karaoke & my main site via my profile!