Karaoke Forums

outllawXsound,

SC's actions have not "caused" the pirates to do anything, The pirates HAVE caused SC to use the legal remedies available to them.

PR has stated they WILL be protecting the CB trademark. While we have not seen this action yet, Will you pull all CB tracks also?

What will you do in the future if/when other manufactures follow SC's example and start legal action? Will you boycott them also?

Just giving you some things to think about

I do feel your pain. When I started we made over $300 a night for a 4 hour show. Piracy drove the rates that bars were willing to pay down to $75 or less and we could not load and set up at that price. If not for a few very long term venues we would have been forced to close shop. It has taken a few years of SC lawsuits in our area but things are improving, our rates are up, venues have realized that using legal karaoke is worth more than using a pirate, and unsuitable venues are no longer running shows. SC can not be everywhere. They will eventually get to "Hicksville" , "Red Neck Junction"."Hell Hole", East Jabip" and all the other little towns it is just going to take some time. If you own the discs use them or at least sell them and make back some of your investment.

Really, you don't think that once you move into an area, that the pirates don't move out? Yea they do! And they find softer targets to hit. Look I am not saying that SC shouldn't protect their rights, but come on, we as legal host are taking some really big hits. What is SC doing to help legal hosts? Or do you even care?

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Still love to sing!

I know of 10......... 4 had to close up right off (could not afford audit). Cut throat Pirates run the rest out.

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Still love to sing!

Me included!!!!!

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Still love to sing!

Well it would have been nice if they would have been here sooner. I already had to close up shop. $40k worth of sound, lights, and disc stored in shed.

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Still love to sing!

Insane even if it is the FEDERAL COURT SYSTEM, the injunctions are not blanket and don't cover all hosts, only the ones listed in the original court proceedings. You can't use a Florida injunction and slap on any California host you find. If that were the case then James would have some California lawyer going to town here. It ain't happening. Have a Insane day.

"Really, you don't think that once you move into an area, that the pirates don't move out? Yea they do! And they find softer targets to hit. Look I am not saying that SC shouldn't protect their rights, but come on, we as legal host are taking some really big hits. What is SC doing to help legal hosts? Or do you even care?"

Yes the pirates do move out, that is the whole idea. If they are moving into your area and you are a legal host all I can suggest is to do the same thing we did. We contacted SC and educated venues. Is that an instant fix ? NO is it am easy fix ? NO but it does work. I do care and SC has helped the legal hosts in our area, partially because WE the legal hosts were willing to do the education of venues and work with SC to help clean up the problem.

As far as knowing 10 legal KJ's that were caught up in the lawsuits(including yourself) with 4 that had to "close up" right away due to not being able to afford an audit. I find that highly suspicious. Here in a "larger" area there are not 10 legal hosts(including disc based hosts) in a 300 mile radius and I have spoken with many KJ's nationwide that have contacted SC for audits. I have no doubt that you believe that the 10 KJ's were legal, however statistics would beg to differ from what I have seen.

I am sorry to hear that you have so much sitting in a shed, and I do hope that like some of the "oldtimers" around here you will be able to get back to running shows profitably if that is your choice.

Funny I've had no problems running a profitable business going on 18 over years now, without any help from SC, not even using the SC product. I guess I have just been lucky. Have a blessed day.

Outlaw, I'm not sure how many nights you work or how much you make but if your full time $150 isn't much. Now you have me confused, in one post you said you were one of the people who had to close down because SC came to town but in a later post it sounds as if you closed down before they came.

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You can be strange but not a stranger

Wrong timberlea, I said a friend I knew was run out of his gigs by a multirigger, he was making about 1600.00 gross per month. The multirigger under cut him twice and now he has another show, I haven't caught it yet. I said the 150.00 is the average I swing for some gigs pay more some a little less, I don't have to be greedy since 2/3rd's of my income is from other sources. I very comfortable with what I'm making since I have no debt. I never said I had to close any of my shows because of SC, I said I don't carry their product, and therefore have no need to have any dealings with them. Therefore it is not necessary for me to close anything. I have had the same basic gigs except for my new Saturday one on a long term basis. Have a blessed day.

P.S. Sorry timberlea I thought you were calling me an Outlaw, my mistake.

Well I am glad it worked out for you. As for 10 legal host, yea we made sure we were legal. We got together and started our own legal host club before SC ever started their lawsuits. Call it PRIDE or what you want but, we were all legal. And the saddest part is we loved the SC discs. They were so much better than any of the others that we could get at that time. OLDTIMERS eh, Ha Ha Ha! Sonny.

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Still love to sing!

So 10 had been named in lawsuits and 4 that closed couldn't afford the audit? Really.

You also say you had to close up shop as well and you couldn't afford the audit either?

So you were named in a lawsuit. The audit cost was higher than the $150 I presume. Did SC offer to let you pay payments on the audit cost? Were you dropped from the lawsuit?

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-- Mark

Didn't mean to confuse ya. Yes I closed down before they got here cause of cut throat pirates. Pay going from $275 down to in some cases $20 a night. Some of the other host got notices for audits. I got a notice but was already out.

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Still love to sing!

outllawXsound,

I for one appreciate that "pride". As an "oldtimer" with almost 20 years invested in my business, I have seen quite a few of my freinds leave "the biz" due to the pirates, Happily a few are re-entering now that the piracy problem has been tamed. Maybe your legal host group could start a venue education program now that would bear fruit and allow any of you that want to do so to get back in as well. Not an instant fix by any means but it does work.

Being Certified has assisted us in getting new shows in the last year. $150 for an audit has paid us back many times over.

More than $150. Just notice of intent for lawsuit. And yes mine was dropped. I was already out. Pirates run me out.

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Still love to sing!

Well, right now I have some personal things to take care of. Moving for one, but Yea I hope the future will bring me back in. Or I will start another band. As for our club I will pass that to them and hopefully they will run with it.

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Still love to sing!

Are you interested in selling your SC discs since:

A) ...you are no longer in business?

B) ...you support a boycott of SC content?

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-- Mark

Let me take care of some of my personal things and we will talk. Take me a week to get moved. Moving from Il to Ok. Cool?

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Still love to sing!

Have a good move

Hey HL, is it legal to sell my discs to someone else and them use them without buying from SC? Just a thought! Thank you kjflorida

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Still love to sing!