Karaoke Forums

In Canada:
1) The Venue pays fees to Socan so we can perform as a Live Band, DJ / KJ.
2) If we choose to reproduce music or change the format of the song to todays "Digital Standard" we simply acquire a Standard "All-in-One" Licence for each Hard Drive. (http://www.connectmusic.ca/disc-jockeys ... cence.aspx) Cost is just under $1.00/day.
3) If we choose to do Karaoke then it's as simple to purchase songs already in "MP3+G" Digital format directly from Karaoke companies.
They pay all the fees.

I don't see any difference on how a song is acquired (Subscription, Personal use, commercial use) i think this part is all rubbish because no matter what song you acquire to use at your show. the fees get paid.

to sum it all up:
1) Venue pays for us to perform.
2) Manufacture is responsible to pay the fees to original artists.
3) As a DJ / KJ Host it is my job to provide nice quality sound to the listening audience for the sake of the "Original Artist".

Is there anyone who disagrees?

I like the way they handle it there.

But that's way too simple for the USA.

[quote="Kuelman1"]I like the way they handle it there.

But that's way too simple for the USA.[/quote]

I've been passing emails and phone calls to Pep Rocks (SoundChoice) but they seem to just give me the run around.

I applied and entered all my company credentials, submitted the application to purchase the GEM series. and still no reply after 2 weeks.

I'm beginning to have that same impression for US DJ/KJ's in getting to that "Easy" part of it.

Niagara, you are close. AVLA does provide being able to copy for commercial purposes with the exception of karaoke due to the sync rights which for some reason they can't do. So a DJ can pay the AVLA fee and freely copy their music but a karaoke host can't. They still need to go to the manufacturer.

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You can be strange but not a stranger

And how many manufacturers have ever sued anyone in Canada? Since almost the all manus don't exist and have left no forwarding addresses... now what? Stay in the dark ages?

I'm the general counsel for Phoenix Entertainment Partners. I'm sorry to hear that you're having trouble. Our main customer care specialist is on vacation this week, but that wouldn't explain why you haven't been helped after two weeks.

If you could send an email to jim@pep.rocks with your name and contact information so that I can look into this, I'll make sure you get taken care of as soon as possible.

Everything resolved today with SoundChoice. Barb Wheeler along with others from Pep Rocks (SoundChoice were very friendly and resolved the issue I was having. I'm all "Good To Go"

Pep Rocks... staff are awesome and hope to do business with them in the many years to come.

Niagra, upon checking further neither Connect Music (I E-mailed them) or CMRRA Canadian Music Reproduction Rights Agency cannot give permission to media shift karaoke music due to the sync rights. So we are in the same boat as the Americans.

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You can be strange but not a stranger

It needs to be taken OUT of the mfrs hands and put in the government's hands, and new laws need to be written, laws that allow for disc copying.

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I am the ONLY SANE 1 HERE

It needs to be taken out of the government's hands entirely.

When a private individual creates a product, in this case; music, they inherently possess ALL of the rights for that product. Those rights have value that can be monetized in many ways.

The government shouldn't dictate the value nor the relinquishment of those rights to anyone.

Here's a question: If you produced something unique and valuable and brought it to market to make profit, would you want the government dictating how much it's worth or whether or not other people have the right to copy it for their own personal/business gain?

The value and the rights reserved should be up to the creator/publisher/owner of the product, not the government.

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Never the same show twice!

Not when each mfr decides to make their own set of rules. When one looks away if you shift, and another one will try to hunt you down and a sue you for doing the same thing, then the government should step in and create a proper law creates one standard.

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I am the ONLY SANE 1 HERE

Smoothe, if you think things are bad now..... you can't imagine how bad it would get with 2200 pages of legalese that no one can read until they pass it.

I see what you did there..

The government has stepped in and created one standard.

That standard is, "each property owner gets to decide how his property is used."

It's not different from real estate. To pick a type of real estate, let's go with golf courses.

Some golf courses are privately owned but open to the public; anyone can play for a fee.

Some golf courses charge a higher fee or have certain restrictions, like proper attire or cart rental being required.

Some golf courses require you to join a club that's generally open in its membership policies, before you'll have access to the golf course.

And some golf clubs are so exclusive they will only let you in if a member puts you up for membership. There is a club near where I used to live where the membership fee is $250,000, you can't get in unless a member puts you up, and each year, they add up the expenses of the club, divide it by the number of members, and send each one a bill for that amount. Needless to say, the only members are people who can afford to pay almost anything.

What you're saying is that because you want in to the exclusive golf club but can't get in or afford it, or you want to wear shorts at a club that requires long pants, the government should step in and make all golf courses the same, with the same entrance policies and rules.

Property is property. Owners make the rules. If you don't like it, don't use it.

Which is why governments enacted the Trademark and Copyright Act which allows the owners of copyright and trademarks to enforce their property the way they wish as long as it is within the Acts.

Smooth, you want government to enforce it. Are you willing to pay higher taxes to pay and criminally enforce the Act? The government would have to hire (at least in the US) between 20 - 50,000 investigators, prosecutors, and expanded courts. You may say you don't need that many for karaoke and you would be correct. However, these investigators would be involve in all forms of music, movies, tv shows, books, computer software, etc, etc, etc. The way it works now the only the taxpayer is paying for is the courts, all other costs are borne by the litigants.

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You can be strange but not a stranger

Of course, what you're suggesting is not a valid comparison.

A more valid comparison would be the golf course – which is open to the public – that accepts your payment for playing golf in shorts only with the clubs they sold you.

And when you get to the seventh hole, the "property owner" changes the rules with a sign that says you "must wear long pants."

Then, on the ninth hole, there is another sign which says "you must wear only plaid long pants."

on the 12th hole. There is a sign which reads; "Audit Station: pay 10 more dollars to continue after we check your clubs."

Again on the 14th hole, there is another sign which says "members only."

None of these conditions were present when they accepted your payment and sold you the clubs, and when you complain and demand a refund, they tell you: "Too bad, it's our property and we will do what we want."

"Unauthorized duplication ... is a violation of applicable laws."

On the face of every disc.

Every single one.

Mr. Harrington,

Maybe you can answer a question...

Is SC/PEP seriously interested in eliminating piracy for the benefit of the honest KJ?

We are a few small fish in an ocean of sharks trying hard to survive. Why don't you go after the leads we provide? I can give you several right now of pirates in my area. Actually, one of them I've reported several years ago and they're still out there in all of their pirate glory.

Why is nothing done about these leads? Over the years, we've spent hundreds/thousands of dollars supporting you. Now we need you to support us. Please make it a priority to act upon the leads we send you. It's very frustrating to see the same pirates out there who've been reported several times.

So, if interested in eliminating piracy for the benefit of the honest KJ, please make us and our leads a priority.

Thank you.

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Electro-Voice Evolve 50... Taking Sound To The Next Level.

"Used by permission."

At the end of every track the day those discs were pressed.

Every single one....

How truthful was that printed statement?

We are interested in eliminating piracy, yes. But the methods we have at our disposal are expensive. We have to have investigators in the area who can legally do the investigative work needed to support a lawsuit, and they have to be paid. We have to have attorneys in the area who can file the suits, and they have to be willing to work on contingent fee. We have to have funds to pay filing fees and to pay for service of process on the defendants.

It's not that we don't sincerely want to help you or to go after the pirates in your area. It's that it takes more than desire. I'm not sure where you're located, but we do have several more areas coming online in the next few weeks. If you'll send me a PM, I'll see what I can do.