More Ambiguous Internet Copyright Questions
OK, everyone, to celebrate the new commenting system, I'm giving you lots of questions and no answers. Ready? Go!
NPR did a story earlier this week about a crackdown by the Music Publishers' Association on free guitar tab sites. The major contention chronicled in the story is the MPA's claim that these sites are making a profit (from web ads) off of somebody else's copyrighted material. Sites like Guitar Tab Universe and Guitar Zone have issued statements citing the greed of the MPA and the innocuity of learning to play your favorite songs from guitar tabs.
As a performer and a songwriter, I'm having a hard time deciding where I stand on this one -- especially as a pianist, who winds up learning most everything by ear for the general lack of piano sheet music in the pop/rock genre. I don't feel dependent on someone else's transcription to learn the music, and I strongly believe songwriters are entitled to any money they can scrape off of the share that publishing companies are taking (generally 50%). But the question is, how much are songwriters and publishers losing when these sites illegally post free tabs -- if it is, in fact, illegal? (I believe this is still being decided, otherwise there wouldn't be a story.) Does this act hurt the copyright owner?
Conversely, is such a site profiting off of someone else's work? According to the NPR interview, Guitar Tabs Universe earns just enough off of web ads to cover their expenses for web hosting. But are they really only making the $30 a year that a basic hosting account costs? Does transcribing a piece of music (without permission) merit a fee?
NPR did a story earlier this week about a crackdown by the Music Publishers' Association on free guitar tab sites. The major contention chronicled in the story is the MPA's claim that these sites are making a profit (from web ads) off of somebody else's copyrighted material. Sites like Guitar Tab Universe and Guitar Zone have issued statements citing the greed of the MPA and the innocuity of learning to play your favorite songs from guitar tabs.
As a performer and a songwriter, I'm having a hard time deciding where I stand on this one -- especially as a pianist, who winds up learning most everything by ear for the general lack of piano sheet music in the pop/rock genre. I don't feel dependent on someone else's transcription to learn the music, and I strongly believe songwriters are entitled to any money they can scrape off of the share that publishing companies are taking (generally 50%). But the question is, how much are songwriters and publishers losing when these sites illegally post free tabs -- if it is, in fact, illegal? (I believe this is still being decided, otherwise there wouldn't be a story.) Does this act hurt the copyright owner?
Conversely, is such a site profiting off of someone else's work? According to the NPR interview, Guitar Tabs Universe earns just enough off of web ads to cover their expenses for web hosting. But are they really only making the $30 a year that a basic hosting account costs? Does transcribing a piece of music (without permission) merit a fee?
posted by Ian at 8/10/2006 04:52:00 PM
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