Have you contacted the KIAA, DJ Dangerus? I have and it's impossible to get any feedback. This outrage isn't about pro or con piracy, it's about being smarter than a fifth-grader.
KAPA and KIAA are registered through the same proxy service and hosted on the same servers. Is that a coincidence or a matter of 'pushing the reset button' with a different strategy when one failed?
There's one name central to all these IP infringement, social media strategy, and piracy endeavors. See some people are smarter than the average bear. Some people seize opportunities on the roads to riches. Some people strike fear into the heart of the guilty and prey on the good intentions of the innocent. The question isn't about who is for or against piracy, it's who is behind this faction that's throwing the strong arm into our sport. If they were legit, they'd be transparent. There wouldn't be a need for undercover agents to stalk karaoke shows and levy threats against their competitors. If an organization stands for something great, offers something for a fee, and communicates openly (creates trusting relationships), then KJs, venues, and retailers would be flocking to their door.
One name crops up under every rock in all this. Just because manufacturers are on board, doesn't mean there's any legitimacy to the efforts. He wants to corner his market. He's taking bold steps. He sees an opportunity to draw in KJs and venues to line his pockets. Joining the KIAA doesn't get you anything, except endeavors and advocacy ... nothing concrete. See there doesn't have to be anything concrete, and that's the beauty of it all.
If you've been in the business long enough, and researched enough you know that it's going to take a mammoth enterprise to tackle piracy. And believe me you, it's not going to start with a karaoke revolution. The RIAA represents the entire recording industry in the USA and has failed to make a dent in piracy. If anything, they've made it worse. It's not going anywhere any time soon. The man behind KAPA and KIAA can't mount the resources to do something the RIAA couldn't. Think about it, will the lobbyists in DC do something about a fledgling industry like karaoke before it does something for the entire music business?
These lawsuits in AZ aren't going to produce anything but maybe drive a few people out of the local market. No precedent will be set for copyright infringement with karaoke tracks. Are these lawyers going to uncover something the RIAA lawyers couldn't? But they do do one thing that for the time being seems effective, and that is to get people talking. The person behind all this lives and breathes the represented DJ/KJ scene, and this is probably clearing his market for monopolization. He's part of many DJ, wedding, karaoke, and social media organizations. He owns over 80 websites, blogs all over the net, and if I'm not mistaken has an alias or a few. Why not? There's no interpretable laws to say one way or another. Piracy is a world-wide problem. It needs a world-wide solution from the top (you know the multibillion dollar types like Sony).
The aforementioned organization is looking for martyrs. They're asking people to covertly stalk shows and disrupt the lives of bar owners, bartenders, DJs/KJs to shrink the market. This reaks of unionization - grassroots and pointless.
When the driving forces unite in the light of day, and every is on the table for all to see, so there aren't questions about motive or intent, then we can talk about what they might be able to do for us, or what we might be able to do for ourselves.
I don't want undercover patsies at my show. Someone wants to know what I do, see how I do it, I'll show 'em. I have built my equipment inventory, music library, and fan base on good faith. Why should I allow a rogue agency to dictate what I can and can't do with it. They want to start handing pamphlets out in the place(s) I work, and bringing suits against me and my fellow KJs because they know they can without recourse ... I'm not down with that. When you support organizations like this that's what you're opening yourself up to, whether you think you're legitimate or not!!!!!! This is America, former land of the free!!!!!!!!!!!
So please, all of you who think the only reason one could resist something like this is because one has something to hide, or is pro-piracy ... WAKE UP!!!!!!!!!!!
With that said, this thread can now be deleted.