Karaoke Forums

I just saw that someone has the Gem series on ebay for $1000. I was wondering when we would start seeing them...

Not sure how you can sell discs that you don't "own", and this will create a lot of interesting scenarios for the lawsuits. Now if someone gets busted, instead of settling for $5000, they'll just go on ebay and buy a Gem Series for $1000 amd they are instantly legal and have the discs to back it up. Unbelievable. I just quit doing shows about 6 momths ago for this very reason.

Makes me sick that I followed the rules, paid thousands of dollars for Sound Choice discs and now SC lets the Pirates off with a $5000 Gem Series. I've spent about $ 8000 over the years on SC discs for 1/3 of the somgs of the Gem Series and I never stole anything.

The guy down the street is gloating how he just settled with SC and got the Gem Series and he just took my last show. Nice.

Talk about "unfair competition". Thanks SC for the kick in the groin for my 12 years of loyalty.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Sound-Choice-Ge ... _44wt_1157

I am assuming that you are referring to this auction. SC has already stated that, once you have purchased this set from them, you can sell it to anyone at any time for any price. The person who is selling the GEM series must notify SC of this, and the person who is purchasing it must fill out the necessary paperwork from SC so that the license gets transferred to them. Nothing illegal or complicated about that. SC will still have a record of who has the GEM series by the certificate number.

Where is all that explained in the ebay post?

Look to the GEM Series licensing for your answer.

Or ask the eBay seller.

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-- Mark

This is not exactly accurate. SC will not approve a sale to a defendant in an existing case or who is about to be filed against.

SC is aware off this auction and has contacted the seller.

@Ralph... the standard settlement is now $9000 for half of the GEM series, or $12k for 6000 tracks.

and still no thank you for your loyalty. or mine.

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Still love to sing!

Mr.Harrington, how exactly do you "not approve" a third party sale? So if someone who is just starting out in the business would buy the Gem Series currently on ebay for say $2000 after the auction, they pay their money, and get the discs, are you telling that you (or SC) could demand those discs back? Do you go after the unsuspecting guy who bought them, or do you go after the guy who sold them?

Please don't think I'm being disrespectful or challenging you. I'm just a really upset former kj who is mad at the pirates and also thinks the way SC has handled the situation has made things worse because soon we we see pirates suddenly legal for just a few thousand dollars.

The GEM license agreement cannot be assigned without SC's permission. That's part of the agreement itself. So, yes, if the seller and buyer did not complete the process, or if the buyer did not qualify for the license, SC would demand the product back and sue if necessary. Someone who is or shortly will be a defendant would not be approved. And licensing the GEM series product doesn't legalize any product you don't have discs for.

WOW SC must be the only company in the world that can tell you who and who not to sell to. Are you telling me that if this seller sells to an unauthorized person that you would sue the buyer to get the discs back? Something just doesn't seem right here but then again I suppose the buyer could sue the seller to get his funds back. It just goes to show that you NEVER EVER REALLY OWN THE DISCS. Who in their right mind would buy such an item. I feel sorry for some poor widow that sells her dead husbands Gem Series Discs without knowing all the ins and outs of the legal ramifications of doing so.

This is the only product that I know of that CAN NOT be privately sold or bought without someones permission. Does anyone know of anything else?

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I like everyone when I first meet them. If you don't like me that's not my problem it's YOURS!
A stranger is a friend you haven't met yet

Lone,

It seems as though its like when you lease a car. You can't turn around and sell it to someone else, or at least you need the dealer's permission to transfer the lease. I suppose doing a similar thing with karaoke discs is what is happening here. It just seems like there are so many other ways this could all be handled without the "good people" getting screwed, or living in fear that they didn't cross every T and dot every I.

Well there you have it. A direct effect of piracy.

If it wasn't for pirates, then you wouldn't have these issues in the first place.

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-- Mark

I can see that the terms of the GEM Series are similar to a lease. The main thing is that if a person wishes to sell/transfer the set, it shouldn't be much of an issue as long as it is within the guidelines established by SC, whatever they may be. The only issue that I see that could arise is if SC refuses for any reason that is NOT within the guidelines set forth...another bridge to cross when someone gets there...

This is all covered in the license agreement. Permission is required to transfer the license to someone else. If SC refuses, it has to give a valid reason for refusing--such as, that the transferee is a defendant in a lawsuit in which SC is a plaintiff.

And you wouldn't have the GEM series either, as SC would still be producing CDGs. It looks like SC only came out with the GEM series as another way to keep track of their product (since all it has been (so far) is a reissue of tracks they already released years before).

I'm guessing that these figures represent a combination of the settlement payment pluss the cost of a GEM set?

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"No Contests, No Divas, Just A Good Time!"

" Disc based and loving it..."

The GEM set is a licensed product. Your local bar could put all their liquor and their liquor license up for sale on eBay and you could buy it and receive it. But that doesnt mean it's legal or that the license is truly transferable.

All the tired old "it's a lease/SC is evil/crotch kicking" arguments aside, if the auction is a legitimate license transfer, its a helluva deal for a helluva set.

It *WAS* a hell of a deal. Then it was posted to a karaoke forum where a whole bunch of karaoke hosts now know about it and will likely run the price up to something just shy of retail.

I realize the intent of the post was to inquire about how a sale of this particular product would be managed, but myself and others that managed to find it on their own would have preferred the post be made after it sold. Just saying.....

This is not the first GEM that has been on eBay. There was one several weeks back as well. It didn't sell.

-Chris

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-Chris

Nope sorry not the same. If you lease a car you DON'T OWN IT, you are essentially renting it, and can buy it at the end of the lease if you want and then can sell it to whomever you want.
This can not be done with the Gem series. You paid your money and yet SC can tell you to whom and when you can sell it. You CAN NOT sell it except to a KJ you CAN NOT sell it to just anybody they have to be a working KJ, as the Gems are not for home use!

If I pay to buy something then it is mine to do whatever I wish. Sell it, trade it, destroy it, etc.
I'm still waiting for someone to tell me just what other product you BUY OUTRIGHT, that you can't sell, to whomever you want to.

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I like everyone when I first meet them. If you don't like me that's not my problem it's YOURS!
A stranger is a friend you haven't met yet

Depending on where you live....a gun.

-Chris

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-Chris

Somebody save this.