Karaoke Forums

I just love how you only read and post what you want to see not the whole thing.

CB has said and I quote

"Karaoke shows that use tracks stored to a hard disk drive are doing so in violation of the Chartbuster Karaoke license printed on the original disc. Unless the tracks were purchased as digital downloads and are being played from the original disk onto which they were downloaded, the operator is in violation of the license."

Note the phrase "Unless the tracks were purchased as digital downloads and are being played from the original disk onto which they were downloaded, the operator is in violation of the license."


They are giving permission to use downloads (not rips) as long as they are on the original disc that they were downloaded to. I don't know about you but when most people download something they don't do it to a disc they to it to a hard drive. So I believe what CB is actually saying is you can only use the original hard drive that the product was downloaded to or if you in fact download it to a disc only that disc can be used.

Maybe I can clarify a little.

Sorry guys, just one more question. Why do you need to keep your receipts if you have your disk in hand ? Sheesh, most of us have had our disks for 10-15 years or more.

Bruce.
You are funny.

If I steal a bottle of Whiskey...
Johnny Walker is not going to start looking for me.

I guess my problem is with CB's statement that you must download to the hard disk you will be using for your show. I for one, do not like the idea of downloading straight to my show computer. With all the possibility for getting a virus downloaded to my drive, I would choose to download it and test the download before taking a chance of ruining all the songs on my work computer. I don't even like to update it because I don't trust MS either. Do you think the manufacturer is more secure than Microsoft?

I personally think that the manufacturers are faced with the dilemma where they see the advantages of the computer karaoke system but do not have a clue as to how to combat the Karaoke Pirate who downloads illegal tracks or sells hard drives already loaded. That is where the efforts need to be. If they could solve that issue, the other would not be a problem.

I still say that each of us has a responsibility to the industry and to ourselves to help stop the illegal copying and the pirate shows. There needs to be education of venue owners on how these acts could potentially hurt their business by knowingly allowing illegal activity. After all, most have liquor licenses and stand to lose them if they knowingly engage in illegal activity.

Do the manufacturers not have a way to encode their tracks with a serial number of sorts? Armed with that, tracks that are legally purchased could be registered and illegal activity could be audited when found. Some software also has encoding to limit the number of copies that can be made from an original disc.

The software manufacturer that supplies my hosting program has a way to only allow you to have its program live on one computer at a time. To change computers, you have to physically remove the license from one in order to use it on another. Could manufacturers not use this same type of technology on their discs? You buy from a registered retailer and then register the disc (or track) on line with the manufacturer who emails you a confirmation of the license. That license is only good for that track on one computer at a time. That would help (nothing is 100% foolproof) alleviate the illegal copying which is the crux of the problem.

I did notice my email address pops up on the title track of each of the songs on the Custom discs I order. So if 2,000 copies showed up, you would know where they came from. I haven't bought a download. Do you do the same thing on those, too?.

My understanding is that the same method is used on digital downloads. There are drawbacks to the system, but it's the best technological solution we've found thus far.

My one thing is I wish I could change the ID from being my email to the company name. I also was going to give someone a custom for Christmas but didn't want my email on THEIR disc and couldn't get a response as to how to change it so I had to go eslewhere. But otherwise, it seems like a good way to trace who might be putting out copies of something.

It was not on the one digital download that I purchased. Unless I was one of the first to do so and things have changed since then.

Chatbuster: While we are on the subject your digital download page has numerous errors which I have sent and email to your webmaster to which Bob Brady replied they are fixing it. This was over a week ago and still not fixed.

Just a couple of errors. Can not change page number, can not sort by anything.

Thanks for listening and KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK.

Apologies for taking so long to reply - and thanks to leopard lizard for starting the thread as requested.

From our website: "You are allowed to make a single copy of your Chartbuster Karaoke discs for archive purposes only. Please note that this does not entitle you to use those backed-up tracks for any other purpose than as a back-up, including playing, sharing, distribution or performance.

"Karaoke shows that use tracks stored to a hard disk drive are doing so in violation of the Chartbuster Karaoke license printed on the original disc. Unless the tracks were purchased as digital downloads and are being played from the original disk onto which they were downloaded, the operator is in violation of the license."

You will note that for the purposes of a track that is ripped from a disc, only the disc is authorized for use in a Karaoke Show setting, and not the ripped track.

When you purchase a digital download from our online store, you are given a receipt from that transaction. It is the only record you will have that you legally obtained the track, since no physical disc accompanies the purchase.

If you have a digital download, have your receipts, and are performing a karaoke show, as long as your other licenses are in order, you are authorized to use a Chartbuster Karaoke track purchased in this fashion in your show. This does not confer any other license to you - you must still conform to applicable copyright and performance rights laws, along with any other restriction(s) that may apply. It only expressly means that the use of the Chartbuster Karaoke rendition is authorized by Chartbuster Karaoke, and no other licenses, explicit or implicit, are conferred.

In addition, you should note that in cases of this nature, the courts have yet to determine what distinguishes a back-up copy from an original. Bear in mind that there is no distinguishing feature that can tell any two digital copies apart, other than the media on which they reside. In order to hew as closely as possible to what we believe to be the letter and the spirit of the law, we believe that it is important that the purchaser only download tracks directly to the hard disk drive from which it will be drawn during performance. We don't know how this will eventually shake out in the courts, but until a precedent has been set, this is what we recommend. It may or may not save your entrepreneurial backside later down the road, but it might provide some protection.

Does this mean that the publishers won't come after you for using a digital download in a show? Well, we don't know, and I don't think anyone else does at this point either. They might decide they have bigger fish to fry, even if they think you are infringing. Or they might smell money and land on you with both feet. It's anybody's guess.

Please also note that we make karaoke, not law. We do our best to give you the viewpoint and perspective from where we are sitting. Do not construe any of this to be legal advice - when in doubt, ask your lawyer.

Is this unambiguous enough for the forum?