Karaoke Forums

Reading all the posts regarding legal and not legal has my head spinning! Are there ANY download sites that are legal to use in a public venue?

I'm trying very hard to stay legal AND please my customers... with Chartbuster not producing much new stuff and SoundChoice producing none... I've had trouble getting requested songs for my customers. I've downloaded some but now am very concerned that they aren't legal. I'm trying very hard to stay legal and not spend the money to get 'certified'. I can't afford the fees!! And yes, with the 'illegals' running shows and under cutting me, it is hurting my business.

I'll be certified insane soon!

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SoundChoice Certification coming soon!

unfortunately regardless of what anybody tells you the licencing laws in the USA do not allow for downloads to be used for commercial use. Check your PM's

KjAthena

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"Integrity is choosing your thoughts, words and actions based on your principles and values rather than for your personal gain."
Unknown
"if a man has integrity, nothing else matters, If a man has no integrity, nothing else matters."
Lee McGuffey

Thank you Athena

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SoundChoice Certification coming soon!

There is a lot of gray area without specific law.
I will not be so bold as to tell you that everyone else is wrong and I'm the only one who is correct. I would suggest you research a little deeper and determine what you are comfortable with.

The licensing laws are certainly getting in the way of manufacturing some songs in the US these days, but legally purchased songs whether downloaded or on disk are essentially the same. Just keep records of your purchases. There are many places to legally purchase downloadable tracks here's a few:
http://karaoke-version.com
http://www.tricerasoft.com
http://www.selectatrack.com

The reality is you can't download a soundchoice track anywhere so if they are selling soundchoice for download shop elsewhere. Purchase your soundchoice and chartbuster tracks directly from them and you should be fine.

If you purchased your track from someone who had the right to sell it, it doesn't matter if it's a download. You own it. There are vast differences of opinion, you'll have to form your own.

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KNOW THYSELF

Earth,
Thank you .. those are specifically the sites I was inquiring about. As for Chartbuster, yes.. I am on a monthly mailing from them. Soundchoice.. well, when they get some new stuff out I'll buy from them also. I stopped using them awhile back only because they didn't offer monthly mailings and I kept having to buy duplicates with the new stuff. Seemed really expensive to buy a SC disc only to have one or two songs on it that I didn't already have

I'm not going to be asking for the 'certified' thing for quite awhile, but it makes me wonder about being audited. How are they able to do that? Just come to a show and ask to see my library? I'd show them, but it would have to be at my convenience!

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SoundChoice Certification coming soon!

LisaH
SC doesnt come to the show and ask to audit you. If you are running from a computer without prior permission to have converted the files they will just name you in a lawsuit. If you wish to protect yourself from being named you need to ask for and pay for a pro-active audit. Please see the thread on Fl pirates put out of business...even though this was a default judgment it does set precedence for naming a KJ for medis-shifting without prior permission and also enjoining KJ's from returning to karaoke permanently (unless they recive permission from ALL manus in advance) since overseas brands can not give permission due to their licences and orphan brands can not that would leave only the Big 3 and they would have to pay dearly for the privledge. Please protect yourself and your venues.

Bright Blessings
KjAthena

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"Integrity is choosing your thoughts, words and actions based on your principles and values rather than for your personal gain."
Unknown
"if a man has integrity, nothing else matters, If a man has no integrity, nothing else matters."
Lee McGuffey

OMG.. was told a long time ago that as long as I have the original disc's I was ok. Dangit... gets more complicated all the time!
I thought it was fine with CB since their disc's come with mp3+g files in addition to the cdg... just drag and drop onto hard drive.. I don't get why they would do that if it wasn't ok to put them on hard drive? Gonna ask them though when I order the entire library on usb drive... then will contact soundchoice etc!!

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SoundChoice Certification coming soon!

You only have to worry about SC and CB at this time visit KIAA site for links....CB even credits audit fee when you pass towards purchases and Sc gives promo materials so its worth it in my eyes

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"Integrity is choosing your thoughts, words and actions based on your principles and values rather than for your personal gain."
Unknown
"if a man has integrity, nothing else matters, If a man has no integrity, nothing else matters."
Lee McGuffey

They're both gonna get a call from me very soon! I was just going to make sure of all my disc's vs. hard drive files.. and avoid the audit stuff. But thanks to all of you here, I will do it the easy way and get the audits. I cant wait to put some illegals out of work in my area.. am so sick of the bragging about how big their libraries are when they've only been in business for a couple of years.. it's taken me a very long time to get my library, only to lose gigs to undercutting illegal kj's! Thank you all sooo very much! I'm to bed now (see? Saturday night and I'm not working!!!)

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SoundChoice Certification coming soon!

regardless If I pay to preaudit just to stay out of court I am finished with soundchoice, this is Not a win against piracy, 120-200 buys alot of cdg's. This is another fee and reward for having heads in sand for years literally. Chartbust and Pop hits are My brand, At least they were preactive going digital, And I bet money they can track ANY of the drives to the original purchaser.

Thewraith the cost for SC audit is 125.00 I think and CB is 199.00 both are needed. Do you intend to drop CB as a brand too? Just asking as they are not far behind in filing lawsuits and also require audits to use digital files.

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"Integrity is choosing your thoughts, words and actions based on your principles and values rather than for your personal gain."
Unknown
"if a man has integrity, nothing else matters, If a man has no integrity, nothing else matters."
Lee McGuffey

Don't you get $199 credit towards CB product after you pass the audit?

Maybe SC should consider doing that as well.

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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.

Hitech I do think CB is still offering that credit but I would check to be sure I think SC gives you some promo materials after you pass as well .
Just to remind everyone that request audits they can take awhile as to the best of my knowledge they are both still backed up so be patient.

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"Integrity is choosing your thoughts, words and actions based on your principles and values rather than for your personal gain."
Unknown
"if a man has integrity, nothing else matters, If a man has no integrity, nothing else matters."
Lee McGuffey

Well I've got 27 CD's of 15 songs from All Star so far, a very good buy at .44 a song ($180.00 for 405 songs). Fast too, my last batch I ordered on a Sunday, and they were in the mailbox on Thursday. Great for me, as I'm able to get songs that the Chartbuster 6000, and SC's Gem don't have. Alot of newer releases also, they love "Red Solo Cup" and the many, many others. I like the idea of having the CD's also, sooooo, head to your Target!

Jon

The first part shows that SC is not going after pirates at all, but merely wishes to make money off of any PC based show.

With all respect to my friend Athena, the second part is at best a mis-statement used in hopes of strengthening SC's defense in in the current declaritory suit against them. No precedent can be set until a premise is tried in court, which never happened in a defaulted case like the one that Athena references. No precedent has been set, and no decision on the subject of media sbifting and permissions required-Especially my a secondary-has ever been reached.

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"No Contests, No Divas, Just A Good Time!"

" Disc based and loving it..."

With regard to downloads, If the material was licensed correctly, and you have a receipt, then I don't see the issue. I agree with Earthling.

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Birdofsong

Anybody got a link to the laws concerning downloads?

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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 do not believe there are any US laws on the books that specifically state "Karaoke downloads may not be used for commercial use". By the same token there aren't any stating it's OK either. It's a gray area that has yet to be tested as I understand it. Perhaps Mr. Harrington could weight in on this.

I take the same road as many above. I buy, I download, I keep the receipt, I use in my shows.

I sleep just fine, I paid.

That's what I thought and was confused by Athenas post. Was looking for information that supported her statement.

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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 believe what she may be talking about is that the licenses regularly issued to US-based manus from the publishers historically have not permitted distribution via download. Such licenses are not illegal; rather, they have generally been prohibitively expensive for U.S.-based manus to obtain. (That's a business decision, not a legal one, so any manu who wanted to distribute legally via download would merely need to obtain the appropriate licenses to do so.) Distribution via the internet without a license is illegal.