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Music Publishers on the Offensive Against Lyric Sites
Industry professionals have apparently now shifted their focus from the music thieves and file-sharers to sites that don't offer actual music, but rather the lyrics to the music. Billboard is reporting that Peer Music, Warner/Chappell, and Bug Music have all filed copyright infringement suits against LiveUniverse and Motive Force, companies which host Web sites that provide transcriptions of song lyrics.
David Israelite, the CEO of the National Music Publishers' Association (NMPA), told Billboard that legitimate sites like LyricFind (which costs $3.99 on iTunes) are suffering because free sites like LyricWiki "are simply freeloading off artists and fans." He added that "the demand for music prompts a seemingly endless stream of illegal business models." According to Billboard, the NMPA has been sending cease and desist letters to such sites for the past three years. Some of those sites, with the obvious exceptions of those administered by LiveUniverse and Motive Force, have obliged, either obtaining licenses or getting out of the lyrics business altogether.
Well, maybe the record industry should alter its own business model, rather than just suing anyone and everyone. Or, they could just start suing cover bands. The AC/DC and KISS tribute acts have been freeloading and illegally making hundreds of dollars at fraternity houses and dive bars for far too long. [From: Billboard]
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Comments
8
Subscribe to commentsKattieAug 25th 2009 5:17PM
Years ago they used to print the lyrics of every song on the album in inserts they sold along with the CDs. Maybe they should just offer a text file with the lyrics whenever someone downloads a song legally. People are lazy, so they'd pay for the added convince over scanning Google for the lyrics of some obscure or new song.
sepiriothAug 25th 2009 10:55PM
I cant believe that they are actually doing this. Your right, they used to print them and lets face it, sometimes you just want to know what the heck they are singing. total joke they need to start signing quality artists instead of running after lawsuits. tsk tsk, and to think I wanted to work in the music industry, dodged that bullet
justlegalizeit09Aug 26th 2009 1:02AM
you think this is bad? ive seen worse.... http://www.switched.com/2009/06/24/got-a-custom-ringtone-ascap-wants-you-to-pay-up/ check that out.... greed greed greed greed greed.... i will NEVER EVER pay for music EVER again.... as far as im concerned, once a song is played on the radio, it becomes public property..... there was never a big stink with cassettes.....
sykiksAug 25th 2009 5:23PM
Sheeeeesh....what are they going to sue about next? Letting someone listen to a cd with us? "I'm sorry....your purchase only entitles you to listen unless you buy additional licences for each person that will be listening with you."
oversight68Aug 25th 2009 8:43PM
@sykiks
yes, they would probably qualify that as a public exhibition thus entitling them to additional licensing and royalty fees.
Perhaps it's time to put the final nail in the coffin and just stop buying music from entities that support groups like the RIAA, NMPA, their tactics, and their criminalization of the consumer.
The music industry is hemorrhaging money because the vast majority of the product they peddle is crap, and consumers just aren't willing to spend $20 for a CD that contains only one or two decent tracks. This, along with the pure unadulterated greed and failure to adapt to changing market and consumer demands.
BrianAug 25th 2009 9:07PM
Dear RIAA,
Until you stop being asshats, I will no longer support your terrorist organization. Please die.
The organization formed by your ashes will surely come to the logical conclusion, embracing digital distribution and accepting the fact that the majority of consumers will not buy an entire feces filled album for one track of gold. If even one in ten people believed your organization fought for the good of the artists, you wouldn't be in this pickle.
ringflashphotoAug 26th 2009 3:09PM
I buy CDs. I don't buy downloads. I want that media in my hands. I usually hear new (at least new to me) music on either FM radio or internet radio, and rarely (with the exception of AOL Radio) is the song title, artist, and album information available.
Thus, to find the song information, I listen to a portion of the lyrics and then do a web search on the portion of the lyrics I remember. If there are several versions of a song, I go out to a music site and listen to the free previews of 20 or 30 seconds of each version until I hear the version I recognize, and then I go buy the CD.
If the lyrics were to no longer be available, I'd be unable to identify the songs and wouldn't be buying the music, but I guess that is ultimately what the RIAA and other groups want, to not sell music but to gripe and complain about how music sales are falling.
klip indirOct 3rd 2009 3:42PM
Thanks for the tip, tho
Müzik indir