Karaoke Forums

Sorry if this has already been posted but obviously for any KJ the biggest goal is to be 100% compliant when it comes to your song library. Based on everyones experiences I wanted to get some feedback.
I am currently charbuster "certified"
I am also working on getting the gem series to host shows.
Now the other companies...

When it comes to media shift as long as you have the actualy purchased CD The only one I know I can use and rip would be party tyme karaoke.

I've seen other cd's being used and wondered if you can rip these brands..

Sweet Georgia Brown
Dk
Nu Tech
Pop Hits Monthly (CD-G and/or MP3-G)
Karaoke Kurrents
Or any other brands that I have no mentioned that KJ's use.

Pop Hits Monthly (Stellar Music) requires a $3400 licensing fee, after which you can legally media shift and play their tracks commercially.

Clarification on PH please. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought this only applies to someone starting out & the fee is towards the purchase of the physical cd, licensing & approval to media shift (1:1).

I am on their yearly subscription now for 3 years. Did I get it correctly that I will need to pay the fee before I can do the 1: on 1 shift? Hmmmm, just wondering.

_________________
To be fortunate enough to derive an income from a source as fulfilling as karaoke music has got to be as close to heaven as we can get here on earth!

the Stellar program is intended for hosts that are NOT 1-1 compliant...it is not a fee to media-shift nor is it intended for 1-1 hosts

http://www.stellarrecords.com/cap_info.html
read the program info to confirm this info


Blessings
Athena

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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

Yes, I should have specified that, however, I talked to them and they said it gave us the ok to media shift and they wouldn't pursue any type of legal action.

if you call or email them and ask they explain they are not going to take legal action against anyone who is 1-1 complaint as well. Of course they may at sometime require an audit to prove you are 1-1 as nobody has come up with a viable option to separate track thieves from technical infringers.

Bright Blessings
Athena

_________________
"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

Ask ChrisAvis to clarify about Stellar, but I believe that it covers any Stellar controlled song pre 1997 regardless of how you aquired it (legal copies, copied hard drive, illegal download, etc) or how many you pocess.

ChrisAvis,
Or anyone that purchased the CAP...please post on this subject and explain the CAP program in more detail than what the website does for clarification...

Athena

_________________
"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

(CAP) Compliance Assistance Program

The Stellar Records Compliance Assistance Program (CAP) is available to all KJ’s, general consumers, venues, etc. hereinafter referred to as “end users” of Stellar Records’ karaoke products and/or products containing the trademarks of Stellar Records. Anyone who has acquired illegal copies of products containing the copyrights and/or trademarks of Stellar Records can for a limited time obtain a Certificate of Defrayal through Stellar Records. These certificates hold harmless and guards the certificate holder from legal actions that might be initiated by Stellar Records for the unauthorized usage of specific Stellar Records’ intellectual property and products including, but not limited to products containing OSL (On Screen Lyrics) or other forms of visual lyric display files (karaoke formats such as CD+G, MP3+G, etc.), or for the use of any Stellar Records’ trademarks that may be displayed either on-screen as part of a lyrics display, and/or use of its trademarks in the original product packaging. The certificates are limited to the song titles listed in the accompanying exhibit that is attached to the covenant document, and as contained in the brands listed on the accompanying Certificate of Defrayal.
Stellar Records has made every effort to strike an equitable balance between our loyal customers who have purchased many if not all of our products at fair market prices, and the current status of those of whom may have unwittingly purchased illegal copies of our products. At the urging of the KIAA, rather than attempt to determine the intention of the end user in the acquisition of these unauthorized products and in the best interest of resolving this matter going forward, it was deemed as a matter of practicality and expediency to give everyone the benefit of the doubt based on the assumption that all products in question were acquired with good intent.
Stellar Records does acknowledge that many end users may have been misled into believing that the products they had purchased were legitimate only to later discover that they were not. Often times this was as a result of having purchased these products through “legitimate” distribution channels such as traditional karaoke retailers and web stores. Notwithstanding this fact, Stellar Records cannot offer any credits, refunds or compensation of any sort to any person or entity involved in these transactions. The end user’s best recourse would be with the seller and should in no way be viewed as the responsibility of Stellar Records.
Stellar Records does empathize with end users who may have been “duped” into purchasing illegal or unauthorized copies of Stellar’s products and/or illegal products containing the trademarks of Stellar Records, but at the same time must insist that it gets justly compensated for all usages of our products be it past, present or future.
This CAP program is NOT available to persons or companies that have already been contacted by Stellar or its legal counsel for alleged infringements of Stellar’s intellectual property, or are in the process of being legally served in an action being brought against them by Stellar Records.


(CAP) Compliance Assistance Program
This CAP program covers all Stellar Records intellectual property released through the end of 2007.

Overview: Covering all products produced between 1995 and end through 2007. This includes the
brands UK Karaoke®, American Gold®, Top Hits Monthly®, Rising Star, and Pop Hits Monthly®.

From my previous post....

In other words, if you DO NOT own the original discs for any of their tracks that were produced/sold between 1995 thru 2007, then this CAP program is for you. You are basically given amnesty against being sued for using those tracks in the future (as long as you weren't already named in a lawsuit prior to your obtaining a CAP Certificate).

As for the rest of their tracks, PHM has already freely stated that they don't have a problem with you media shifting (provided you did it from an original disc, and you still have that disc in your posession to prove that you are 1:1.

I bought my CAP for the exact reason why the CAP exists - I was duped by a system seller into thinking he would be providing physical discs that he claimed to have but did not. I ended up with a large ligital library and a small number of discs. The CAP allowed me to keep the digital library without having any of the matching physical discs.

Stellar, to the best of my knowledge is NOT actively pursuing KJ's for media-shifting *so long as the own the original media*. I have no doubt that if they are presented with information regarding a known pirate, they investigate, and find this to be true, that they would likely offer them a CAP (just like SC offers a GEM). If the CAP is turned down I am sure they would pursue legal action.

-Chris

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-Chris