I talked with a Sales rep today from Zoom Karaoke, this is what I got
Quote:
I'll try and answer as best I can for you! Basically our karaoke tracks (like any other brand) have two sets of 'rights' embodied in them:
1) The recording rights
2) The publishing rights
The recording rights are owned by Zoom - we made the backing tracks and the content you see on-screen.
The publishing rights are controlled by music publishers such as Sony/EMI/Warner/Universal etc. That's how the songwriters earn money because we have made a cover version of their composition and used their lyrics.
So, I can only speak as the recording rights owner and I have no idea about the laws in your country or what might or might not be illegal, but as far as Zoom is concerned:
- We will never take legal action against anyone who buys genuine Zoom discs and uses them for karaoke shows anywhere in the world, whether at a karaoke show or at home.
- We will never take legal action against anyone who buys genuine Zoom discs and converts them to any other format, provided the original discs are retained (anywhere in the world).
Hope that helps!
Kind Regards,
Joe
Zoom Karaoke
Figured I'd post this so people know they can buy and use Zoom Entertainment products without fear of copyright infringement from media shifting, so long as you own the CD you shifted from (and will assume you keep a 1:1 ratio)
Of course, other laws from EMI, ASCAP, BMI, etc. apply as per usual.