Originally Posted By: jford
<...>That's why I think Bob Norton has the best solution. Since chord progressions can't be copyrighted and BIAB is a legal program to work, he gets you 75% of the way there. All you need to do then is buy the legal fake book (for which royalties have already been taken care of) that goes along with his fake disks (and he even shows you where to get them), then spend some time either putting the melody in yourself, or just playing from it.


Thanks

Originally Posted By: jford
<...>Should copyright laws be changed? I think so. I think copyright in the US today is way too long. Everyone benefits when stuff gets into the public domain. Copyright for 70 years after the death of the composer; come on. That's ridiculous.

Patents are only good for about twenty years (depending on the type you get). But if I create some sort of intellectual property today at the age of 15 and live to 100, then the copyright is good for 85+70=155 years. The United States as a country is only 238 years old. And everything created prior to 1923 (91 years ago) is in the public domain.


I agree. Warner Brothers makes 2 million dollars per year on "Happy Birthday To You" - the melody is in public domain ("Good Morning To You") and the people who wrote the words are long dead.

Originally Posted By: jford
And the latest round of copyright law increasess was the result of Walt Disney Company worrying about the mouse coming into the public domain and were able to quietly slip the increase from 50 to 70 years in with what is known as the Sonny Bono law (yes, that Sonny Bono). The irony of course, is that much of Disney's well know music (at least in the early years) was the result of using public domain music, so as not to have to pay royalties themselves.


Because the USA is now being run by giant corporations. It's no longer government by the people and for the people. We let too much corporate money seep into politics and both major political parties are in corporate back pockets.

Originally Posted By: jford
How about a copyright for 20 years, renewable twice? If you can't make your money in 60 years, well it probably ain't gonna happen. But if you don't renew it, it goes into the public domain after 20 years. And with the internet, it's piece of cake to verify the status of any piece.

My $0.02 worth, and decreasing in value every day.


I'd agree with that, but also stipulate that heirs cannot renew the license after the author dies. It will expire after the current 20 year term is up.

And if a corporate entity buys it, they cannot renew it after it is purchased.

But that will never happen as long as we keep electing the same corporate lapdogs into office.

Insights and incites by Notes

Bob "Notes" Norton smile Norton Music
https://www.nortonmusic.com

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