Music Pirates Might Face Jail

Techtree News Staff, Dec 12, 2005 1404 hrs IST

Hot on the heels of the Australian ruling against Kazaa, comes yet another decree against piracy from the music industry.

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Hot on the heels of the Australian ruling against Kazaa, the peer-to-peer file-sharing service, comes yet another decree against piracy from the music industry.

The Music Publishers' Association (MPA), representing US sheet music companies, announced late last week that it is planning on taking strong action against offenders involved in the publication of copyright lyrics, scores or guitar tabs.

Lauren Keiser, president, MPA, said that Internet has replaced the Xerox machine in usurping sales, prompting a more pro-active approach. Expressing the view that he did not want to just shut-down the concerned Web sites, Keiser said that if authorities could "throw in some jail time" it would be more effective.

In the past bitter battles have been waged against un-authorised services allowing users to download recordings for free, however this is the first concerted legal effort by the MPA in this direction.

The MPA plans to target even very big sites, that people would otherwise think are legitimate and popular. Music publishers and song-writers will consider all tools under the law, to stop illegal behaviour of certain Web sites.

Interestingly the campaign comes in the wake of Austrian freeware Web site - PearWorks closing its PearLyrics service in response to a "cease and desist" letter from leading music publishing company, Warner/Chappell Music. PearLyrics worked along with Apple Computer's iTunes, searching the internet to find lyrics for songs in a user's collection.

Walter Ritter, developer, PearLyrics, said he just didn't see the point why PearLyrics would infringe Warner/Chappell's copyright because all PearLyrics was doing was searching publicly-available Web sites. Ritter said that he had closed the service only because he could not afford to risk a law suit against such a big company.

Ritter said that he had tried convincing Warner/Chappell that its cease and desist letter might just be based on a big mis-conception regarding what PearLyrics was all about; however he had received no response from the company.

Related News:
Aussie Kazaa Access Blocked

USER COMMENTS

My Friend Downlads Music all the time! So what is wrong with that?

by Jen. Hawkins., Fort Erie, on Dec 13, 2005 08:58 PM, Report abuse Reply

the mpa and riaa can sue all they want... people can argue endlessly about the pros and cons of p2p... but the bottom line is... people are still going to download and pirate music and there is nothing anyone can really do about it :D

by nicermog, sdf, on Dec 13, 2005 11:43 AM, Report abuse Reply

This article title is misleading.. this is not about music piracy, but posting (illagal) tabs sheet music, or lyrics of a song. How the hell are we supposed to be creative if we are forced by law to buy expensive, easily destroyable, possibly incorrect crap instead of letting those who might have it better written provided to us for free? How is it harming anything other than the MPA's propaganda campaign?

by travelsonic, NY, on Dec 13, 2005 02:14 AM, Report abuse Reply

I play guitar, I look at tabs and lyrics on the internet. F the MPA and Lauren....that's a freakin girl's name.

by Dudley, Collinsville IL, on Dec 12, 2005 07:59 PM, Report abuse Reply

"i would say F the MPA, but im not that mean. " F the MPA. I'm mean I guess.

by Mean Machine, Varna, on Dec 12, 2005 03:17 PM, Report abuse Reply

as a musician, i think that it is just a little bit ridiculous what the MPA is doing. artists have lost their hearts to their image. whats the point in making music if you dont want people to love it. yeah, i'm not making millions of dollars off of cd's, but i do make money playing shows, be it in a backyard or at a venue and teaching people how to play the guitar, which i learned how to play because of internet tabs/chords and lyrics. without that how is our technology driven children going to learn music. they just want the chords infront of them, not sit down and listen to the song and figure it out. the MPA is out of control. copyright this and that, if they didnt want people to do this or that, dont release it. no one will know about it, so no one will want to learn it, hear it, or even figure out what the hell some bands are saying! like i said technology is driving this generation, how can tthe MPA take away what people want. if there are sights dedicated to learning the music we love, it is obviously a big part of thousands, if not millions, of peoples lives. so the MPA needs to get a grip on reality.. what they are doing is destroying everyones right to music. i understand the downloading of actual songs, but damn. i think that its just another sad point in the controling of people. thank you for reading my rant. it isnt much, but thats what it is. i would say F the MPA, but im not that mean.

by Quinn, Rochester, NY, on Dec 12, 2005 02:38 PM, Report abuse Reply