Tab sites are the next target

[Wolfe Tone]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/4508158.stm

This is ridiculous. Guitar tabs availible on the internet have helped thousands (I'd imagine, I can't really back that up) of people learn and improve their playing ability. I know I would have had a much harder time over the last few years learning songs if it wasn't for the availibilty of tabs on the internet. It's not like that every single song can be found in an official tab book. I've bought a number of tab books, but I generally find it easier to read guitar tabs online. I would assume that we all have our own preferences when it comes to reading music, and when it is online it can easily be formatted in anyway you chose. Going after lyrics websites is also nonsense. Neither of these type of resourses do any harm

I just hope that there are so many of these sites, based all over the world, that some stupid law can't affect them all. I don't know if this has been posted here before, but I after trying mxtabs for a while and realising that it was more than technical problems, I done a bit of research and found out the reason it has been down.

 

[farting bob]

I find going after lyric sites to be incredibly counter-productive for the music industry. People dont read lyrics for a song and think 'ok, i wont buy that song now because i know the words'. They are more likely to buy the song if anything after looking for lyrics.
Guitar tabs is more of a grey area, but i think that encouraging people to make music would be a goal of the music industry, so they should promote it more.

 

[Che Guava]

As a guy who has spent a LOT of time on tab sites, I don't think they have a leg to stand on. Tabs usually represent a person's take on playing a song, not a note-for-note transcription. Even guitar magazines can get around this copyright issue by saying that a transcription of a riff or lick simply 'resembles' what the original artist recorded/composed.

I don't think they can get away with it legally, and I don't think there's any way of really enforcing it. Good luck MPA, and long live OLGA!

EDIT: Jail time for offenders? get a life, buddy....

 

[El_Machinae]

Even guitar magazines can get around this copyright issue by saying that a transcription of a riff or lick simply 'resembles' what the original artist recorded/composed.

But it's clearly copying a copywrited work. By your reasoning, I should be able to burn a CD onto my computer, modify the quality a bit (to be 'not' the same), and then it should be available for download to all.

 

[Che Guava]

But it's not the same! You can't copyright a chord progression, i don't see why you should be able to sue someone for coming up with an interpretation of an artist's work. Should you have to get rights to a book to write a synopsis of it and post it on the internet, or write a review of a movie?

I also highl doubt that these sites really impact sles of sheet music. Usually, tabs are incomplete, incorrect and generally of low quality. if you want to learn a song note for note, you ned registered sheet music.

 

[El_Machinae]

You can't copyright a chord progression

You're very right. I thought that you were referring to information regarding more of the song than a simple progression.

 

[Pontiuth Pilate]

Heck, there's not even a practical way of stopping music or movie piracy yet.

Really, the economics of this are so simple you have to wonder why the RIAA et al have not caught on. People pirate music because 1) they love the convenience of getting music from the Internet and being able to play it on their computer, 2) they skip the inconvenience of paying online while making their credit card and identity info vulnerable to hacks and data compromising. Once you get over those two hurdles you have a cash cow.

For example, just open a web site with all your record label's music on it, and let customers know they can listen to anything on site, or even download it for infinite later play. Their IP address and use of services will be monitored and the appropriate charge added automatically to their electricity bill. Simple.

Of course it would put pretty much everybody in the music "business" besides the actual musicians and producers out of business. I guess that's why the lawyers and "businessmen" are so desperate.

 

[I am the Future]

This is the dumbest thing I have ever heard. I am a hell of a lot more likely to get a song If i know how to play it. Heck. I get the songs so I know the timing for how to play it.

It is probably just big talk.

 

[JoeM]

You're very right. I thought that you were referring to information regarding more of the song than a simple progression.

You can't copyright a guitar solo either - not that anyone has.

The whole thing is a waste of time to support needy legal firms - stick 'em on Judge Judy and the whole thing'll be done and dusted in five minutes.

 

[JoeM]

Headlines next week:

MPAA cracks down on bedroom guitar heroes!

Federal agents kicked down the bedroom door of Jimmy Smith, aged 10, Philadelphia, last night and hauled away music gear with an estimated street value of $250.

Music Industry officials commented that bugging made possible under the Patriot Act had "...provided irrefutable evidence that little Jimmy had been illegally listening to a pirated copy of 'Stairway to Heaven'. I hear he had an imitation Stratocaster as well...but don't quote me!"

"The guitar is just another format for music piracy, like the MP3 file format." MPA president Lauren Keiser said "If I play copyrighted music that I haven't paid for on my MP3 player - that's piracy, why should it be different via guitar?"

...

And so on.

 

[BCLG100]

I only look at the lyric sites when i want to know the words of a song when i dont understand them and my ideas are wrong (they generally are)

 

[Mise]

Lol, just, lol...

Oh, one more thing, if any band/artist backs this their fans would most likely boycott their records.

 

[JohnRM]

I am officially never paying for music ever again.

 

[Truronian]

I am officially never paying for music ever again.

Whats the point when you can just read it on the internet for free?

 

[sysyphus]

I sympathise with musicians not wanting people taking their recorded music for free, but tabs? Come on, try to find published tab for anything but the absolute most popular songs, it's nigh impossible.

Given that the tabs posted are the transcription of the tab author, I think they'll struggle a bit with this one.

Vive OLGA!

 

[Communisto]

I am officially never paying for music ever again.

major labels are the only scumbags. support independant music

 

[farting bob]

I download all my music anyway. I support bands i like by going to see them live. they make much more money out of me that way, and the record labels can go screw themselves. fighting your customers is not good business, i dont see why they havent realised that yet.

 

[sysyphus]

fighting your customers is not good business, i dont see why they havent realised that yet.

If you're not paying for it then you're not a customer.