Karaoke Forums

Thought you guys might want to see this...

http://www.digitalmusicnews.com/permali ... kdzqhJ4dbQ

Thanks for posting the link....sharing

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"Integrity is choosing your thoughts, words and actions based on your principles and values rather than for your personal gain."
Unknown
"if a man has integrity, nothing else matters, If a man has no integrity, nothing else matters."
Lee McGuffey

So does that mean that the rest of the world is out of step when compared to the U.S. and Canada, or is it the other way around, our copyright laws are just behind the times?

It means they are different In other countries owning a gun as a civilian is illegal and even police do not carry them...does that make them ahead of or behind the USA ? I guess it depends on the opinion of who you ask

_________________
"Integrity is choosing your thoughts, words and actions based on your principles and values rather than for your personal gain."
Unknown
"if a man has integrity, nothing else matters, If a man has no integrity, nothing else matters."
Lee McGuffey

I would say that they would be ahead of us!!!

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I am the ONLY SANE 1 HERE

oh great, i just threw up a little in my mouth.....thanks JD

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Paradigm Karaoke, The New Standard.......Shift Happens

Interesting read...and very revealing. Not that is should be very surprising, but it is obvious slanted toward a plan that would specifically make more money for Digitrax. Choosing to support an easier path does not necessarily translate into being the best long-term for the industry and for consumers. Cutting off importing might make them more money, but it also might escalate the piracy issue even more considering the decreased availability.

Obviously, the pursuit of evening the playing field by being competitive with the foreign pricing would take an effort that might be beyond the available resources, but it could have a longer lasting affect. It is indisputable that competition is the most important driving force in the long-term success of an industry; otherwise it ends up being single dictator-like companies being successful and the average consumer being financially beat down.

There was a reference to "three surviving labels". If that is the case, then all three of them were present at the Summit. Some might consider this type of activity to be, or perhaps a precursor to, collusion activity, which would have potential antitrust ramifications.

The idea that the publishers would not be willing to use the structure of licensing to be more competitive shows how little regard they have for the industry, and apparently little more than tolerate it. I mean, wasn't it a publisher who sued a karaoke label that opened up this can to begin with? Speaking of, I have look at that case in limited fashion, and it seems to me that the classification of karaoke as an audiovisual work could be considered a bit of a cop-out. It just seems that there was an inclination to lump it in with an existing format, perhaps to avoid having to more specifically define it, considering its relative obscurity as an industry. However, it would seem that this more specific definition might be necessary in order to create a more fertile environment for the industry...

Meanwhile, what are we left with?? SC doesn't produce, so no quality there, ASK is almost as bad a SGB, (some of it IS SGB), Party Tyme is good but they seem to be limited to pop and country, We all where the quality of PHM has gone, and DTE is recycled CB, much of that was recycle SGB, too. The U.K. mfrs are putting out the only REALLY good stuff right now. SBI, SF, and Zoom are making SC quality music, for the most part. We are ALL going to end up with Crappyoke if the publishers and the US government have their way.

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I am the ONLY SANE 1 HERE

Smoothedge,

We are left with the ashes that the pirates have left behind...hopefully karaoke will prove to be like a Phoenix and be reborn. anew

_________________
"Integrity is choosing your thoughts, words and actions based on your principles and values rather than for your personal gain."
Unknown
"if a man has integrity, nothing else matters, If a man has no integrity, nothing else matters."
Lee McGuffey

Great...just what we need in the world: another religion!

The fault is not in the pirates but in ourselves that we are underlings. The pirates are probably responsible for global warming as well, I'm going to have to check under my bed tonight before I go to sleep. I don't see hosts in England and other places where there are reasonable modern copyright laws, complaining too much about pirates. They also have access to whatever materials they need for their service.

They also have to pay a large yearly licencing fee and face jail time if they do not follow the laws. So yes maybe we should see about modeling our laws after theirs....I think that very few would pay additional yearly fees of $500 or better and quite a few would be "vacationing" at tax payer expense in short time.

Maybe we should even ad a VAT (value added tax) like they have in the UK too. The grass always looks greener on the other side of the fence.

_________________
"Integrity is choosing your thoughts, words and actions based on your principles and values rather than for your personal gain."
Unknown
"if a man has integrity, nothing else matters, If a man has no integrity, nothing else matters."
Lee McGuffey

Can we all join hands and sing "Kumbaya"

Gee a large yearly licensing fee of $500.00 that covers all material, is that anything like leasing for 3500.00 or subscribing for 99.00 a month to cover limited materials, for just a couple of manus? I wonder what is the better option? I thought most certified hosts were upset since the pirates are facing no jail time? It would put a crimp in the manus plans to lock up all illegal hosts since they plan on forgiving them and making them new customers, provided they turn themselves in, before they are served. A value added tax is a tax on consumption which falls squarely on the poor, it is designed to limit consumption. That is a concept opposed to the economic philosophy of this country. We want all Americans to consume and of course be in debt up to their eyeballs, that way we make the rich richer, and keep the middle class working. It's the American way.

$500 is a bit steep don't you think?? Not all KJs own big companies with 10 shows a week. Some are like me, that just have a couple shows. $500 a year would hurt. I don't want anything like that. There is enough expense in doing this. Some of us don't need more.

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I am the ONLY SANE 1 HERE

It's all a matter of perspective smooth, $500.00 is not as expensive as some of the other proposed options on the industry table. You can lease for 3500.00 6,000 songs, you can subscribe to a service with 12,000 songs for 99.00 a month forever. You can pay for yearly audits currently we are talking about at least $200.00 a year or more for the two suing manus. If all labels get into the act you could be paying someone for audits to all and that would be much more than $500.00 a year. Then there is the publishers if they want the hosts to kick something in. Personally if I had to pay I would rather pay one place once a year rather than get popped by everyone and their brother, talk about a Byzantine system. Have a great day smooth. By the way that free forum is really dead now they don't have anyone to kick around isn't it?

sorry I should have put a roll eyes smiley at the end of my last post. It was not intended to be a suggestion...it was intended to show that the grass is NOT greener on the other side of the fence (I do like the jail time penalty however).

The licencing issue however does not have anything to do with what products you choose to buy, lease or subscribe to, it is purely a just a licence.

I do think that 1 audit, with standards and controls agreed upon by all manus would end up being cheaper and more convenient for all KJ's.

Smoothedge, I understand that you do not want to buy business licences...I dont either but every year I pay for 5 that already cost more than $500, and IF you ever have a crackdown in your area by your county government you will wish you had gotten them...sort of the same issue with liability insurance.....you may not like paying for it(I dont) but let 1 drunk knock a speaker over and get hurt and you will wish you had purchased it because you may be working for decades paying the drunks bills while you do without.

As far as "the other forum being dead" Lone Ranger most left before you did...did you ever think maybe we just found another playground and just didnt tell you about it ?

_________________
"Integrity is choosing your thoughts, words and actions based on your principles and values rather than for your personal gain."
Unknown
"if a man has integrity, nothing else matters, If a man has no integrity, nothing else matters."
Lee McGuffey

We seem to be in the same park now Athena. This call for a central clearing house for audits is something that is not a new idea. It would make things more orderly but then more money can be made from disorder, at least for some people who thrive on anarchy. I still find it troubling that the U.S. and Canada are the only two countries on the planet, that can't take advantage of the copyright law enjoyed by the rest of the world. It would seem it is actually hurting free trade between nations, and is causing at least new karaoke production in this country to dry up. I know the pirates did it. Oh by the way more truth is said in jest Athena.

$500 per year would definitely separate the men from the boys in the manner of who would take this industry serious and treat it like a real business again.

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