Karaoke Forums

To Ed and Brian (and Lonnie and the rest of the veterans) -

You are a respectable breed. There are not very many of you left in the grand total of karaoke hosts out there. I was singing karaoke during that time and loved singing from the Pioneer LaserDiscs. That were good times and I have a lot of respect for those of you that have continued to buy music over the years and continue your trade.

There are virtually zero *NEW* hosts that invest that amount of money in their music. They may spend money on their gear, but the music comes from a purchased hard drive or Torrent/iRC.

I could have just as easily saved myself $40-$50,000 over the past 5 years by grabbing all of my music online as well. But I am very happy I chose the route that I did. I invested hard earned money into a business that is returning hard earned money. I have skin in the game and I plan on doing what I am doing for a long while still.

Thank you to all of the veteran hosts that paved the way for us new folks!

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-Chris

Let's face facts. Most of the people who frequent this forum live in countries that were stolen from the American Indians. I'll delete my free songs when the American continents are given back to the indigenous people of this land. and not just casino land; all of it

Let me get this straight. Our founding fathers screwed over the Indians, so that makes it OK for you to steal hundreds of years later? Man you hacks will go to no end to justify your slimy behavior. Bravo.

Hey. Americans used to own slaves too. Maybe you can work that into your pathetic excuse.

I know that a REAL honest patriot wouldn't condone stealing. We are a better country than that. Nuff said.

HOW can you even say "IF it is theft"?! Do you have some twisted definition of what stealing is? I'll make it simple. Taking something that isn't yours is stealing. Even if it is unlocked and sitting out in front of a store.

You condone and encourage stealing. Same thing in my book.

Yes but in most cases, if you get caught stealing something, you either go to jail, or you pay for what you stole. In the case of karaoke, that's not true. Can you imagine if you stole a 20 inch television and instead of putting you in jail or making you pay for it, they made you buy a 70 inch television so they could increase their sales of 70 inch televisions? Sounds absurd and yet there is a comparison.

Simple solutions for simple minds Bazza. You keep on with this I condone stealing garbage, where have in any of my posts have I ever said it was ok? You're right we are a better country than most. In some countries for minor offenses you can be executed or have your limbs hacked off. If you are caught stealing in Arab cultures where they have strict religious law, you can have your right hand cut off. Is that what you are suggesting that we dismember pirate KJ's? It is not my definition we are talking about here, but the injured parties definition of the type of justice they are seeking. SC is the one who determines whether this is a criminal act or a civil matter. SC has elected to pursue their claims in civil court, the remedy they are seeking is the recovery of lost profits. You are the one that insists this is a criminal matter not the victim, but then you have no legal standing to try and recover money for SC do you? This is not the simple black and white situation you say it is, it has many shades of gray.

Rick, thiefs do pay when they lose in Civil and the Complainant is awarded money or in the case of settling with SC, they also pay at three times the original cost of the Gem Series.

LR, just because one is a vet doesn't make them special or above the law, and yes I am a Vet.

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You can be strange but not a stranger

Jews, Nazis, American Indians.....waiting on how we screwed over the Martians.

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-Chris

First of all tim I honor your service just like all veterans are due respect for their service to their country. I like the way everyone keeps telling me what I said, not. I never posted that a veteran was above the law, to my knowledge I have not broken the law, and have been between the lines legally. I resent the implication by you and Bazza that I am a lawbreaker. What I take issue with is this claiming that legally what is going on is stealing. Legally it is not being treated as theft, by the choice of the victim aka SC. It is being tried in civil court and criminal law and penalties do not apply. Basically it is a dispute between two companies, and remedy is sought by means of monetary compensation, end of story. Oh by the way tim you are wrong in the case of Panama City, the defendants that did pay only paid the fair retail value of the material, not three times the original cost of the Gem Series. That is why Jim appealed the award and lost, remember? If SC loses it's case to EMI or settled are they to crooks and thieves?

The answer is out there, just kidding.

"My Favorite Martian" was one of my favorite TV shows, back in the day. Bill Bixby got all of the credit while Ray Walston, the martian, got screwed over. Martians can catch a break!

Are YOU being sued by them???? That question was RHETORICAL... DO NOT ANSWER IT!

If not, then legally, this is NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS(especially since you have retired from the business)!!! How SC or any other Manufacturer chooses to go after someone via the Legal Process, is THEIR BUSINESS.

It maybe their business how they choose to sue cue. Once they have made their choice I think it is fair game to comment on it. Now you are going to tell me what is my business? Oh that's right you like to reword hosts posts, right? The one reason I wasn't sued is because I didn't play their game when I was hosting. I'm retired from the business it is true, I think I have as much right to comment on this forum as tim from Canada, who is not subject to the U.S. SC legal process, or any of our European friends that frequent this forum.

Chris, new hosts don't NEED to spend anywhere NEAR what the older guys did, cause the music is so much cheaper now. PLUS we can buy our songs one at a time instead of buying whole disks. Why would anyone in their right mind buy whole disks when they don't have to?? And YOU saying that virtually ALL new hosts are thieves is just wrong!! I won't even have to spend anywhere near as much as YOU have to keep my customers happy, because I am just buying what is requested when it is requested!!

And that brings me to SC. If they would get off their ASSES and get with modern business, they could make a fortune on single song downloads!! But they just keep dragging their heals and suing people instead of doing anything productive for their customers!! They deserve whatever has happened to them, IMHO!! With the options that are out there now, people don't NEED to steal to have a good collection.


To Bazza, do you know for a fact that LR is stealing?? NO YOU DO NOT!! So stop accusing him of theft!!! Who are you to judge him as a thief if you do NOT know whether or not he is really stealing ANYTHING??? And Tim you are just too self righteous to even bother with. I gave up on you a long time ago.

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I am the ONLY SANE 1 HERE

There are a couple of hosts in my area that subscribe to Karafun for $10 a month and have a pretty good selection of current music. They are aware that it isn't legal. but who is watching?

Have you seen all of the tracks the Mars Rover's have laid on Mars? They don't even cover them up. Leaving some Martian to have to covers hundreds of miles of Rover tracks!

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LIKE Lonman on Facebook - Lonman Productions Karaoke & my main site via my profile!

As I said, same thing in my book. He condones stealing. In fact he has stated he doesnt even think it IS stealing. Somehow in his twisted brain, if you can get away with it and nobody arrests you, it's perfectly OK. It's simply slimy and pathetic.

Which is really kind of stupid, since Karafun uses Karaoke Version songs. Karafun IS legal if you supply your own music. You just can't use their's. It's pretty retarded.

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I am the ONLY SANE 1 HERE

I have noticed this attitude here quite a lot lately, mostly it seems in an effort to run the lone ranger off the forum for his unpopular opinions. I'm curious, how much time must pass between a KJ's gigs before his opinions are no longer welcome or valid? Why must one be currently working as a KJ in order to be worthy of expressing an opinion? Why is a singer's opinion so worthless to you?
I understand that you are trying to get under lone ranger's skin, but I still find it insulting when you suggest that since I have retired (hopefully temporarily) my thoughts and opinions should be kept to myself because you believe they have no value. I also think it is insulting to those who's "skin in the game" is invested through singing and supporting karaoke venues.
When was your last gig?
How long until your next one?
Do you really believe that the issues discussed here can only be relevant to the parties directly involved? Under that line of thinking, you should have never been listed on the "sound choice certified" page because since you are not directly involved as a "media shifting partner" it's "none of your business."

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KNOW THYSELF

He isn't being pushed away for his opinions. He's being pushed away because he tries to turn every thread into a polemic against SC and because he makes up "facts" for the sole purpose of being corrected.