Tabs are now illegal, so sayeth the MPA

[peanutbutter12]

These music companies are getting more and more rediculous... What I want to know is, why is the MPA the one doing this?

The music industry is to extend its copyright war by taking legal action against websites offering unlicensed song scores and lyrics.

The US Music Publishers' Association (MPA), which represents sheet music companies, will launch its first campaign against such sites in 2006.

MPA president Lauren Keiser said he wanted site owners to be jailed.

He said unlicensed guitar tabs and song scores were widely available on the internet but were "completely illegal".

Mr Keiser said he did not just want to shut websites and impose fines, saying if authorities can "throw in some jail time I think we'll be a little more effective".

Bitter battles

The move comes after several years of bitter legal battles against unauthorised services allowing users to download recordings for free.

Publishing companies have taken action against websites in the past, but this will be the first co-ordinated legal campaign by the MPA.

The MPA would target "very big sites that people would think are legitimate and very, very popular", Mr Keiser said.

"The Xerox machine was the big usurper of our potential income," he said. "But now the internet is taking more of a bite out of sheet music and printed music sales so we're taking a more proactive stance."

David Israelite, president of the National Music Publishers' Association, added his concerns.

"Unauthorised use of lyrics and tablature deprives the songwriter of the ability to make a living, and is no different than stealing," he said.

"Music publishers and songwriters will consider all tools under the law to stop this illegal behaviour."

Sandro del Greco, who runs Tabhall.co.uk, said the issue was not serious enough to warrant jail time and sites like his were not necessarily depriving publishers of income.

Learn

"I play the drums mainly but I play the guitar as well. I run the website and I still buy the [tab] books," he said.

"The tabs online aren't deadly accurate so if someone really wants to know it they'll buy the book.

"But most of the bands I listen to don't have tab books to buy so if you get them online, that's the only way you can really learn it unless you work it out yourself."

The campaign comes after lyric-finding software PearLyrics was forced off the internet by a leading music publishing company, Warner Chappell.

'No alternative'

PearLyrics worked with Apple's iTunes, searching the internet to find lyrics for songs in a user's collection.

"I just don't see why PearLyrics should infringe the copyright of Warner Chappell because all I'm doing is searching publicly-available websites," PearLyrics developer Walter Ritter said.

"It would be different if they had an alternative service that also provided lyrics online and also integrated [with iTunes] like PearLyrics did. But they don't offer anything like that at all."

A Warner Chappell statement said the company wanted to ensure songwriters were "fairly compensated for their works and that legitimate sites with accurate lyrics are not undermined by unlicensed sites".

"We have requested that PearWorks provide us with information regarding the sources of their lyrics, and have further asked that they discontinue the service if these sources are operating without a licence."

 

[jayadeva444]

These music companies are getting more and more rediculous... What I want to know is, why is the MPA the one doing this?

That's possibly the most ridiculous thing I've ever read. Don't these guys have something better to do? Oh well, I guess it encourages people to learn how to tab it themselves (and keep it to themselves to avoid prison). Wow, that's just really stupid.

 

[AcousticMike]

How are they possibly going to make sharing tabs, that people WRITE THEMSELVES 90% of the time after figuring them out...illegal. Good luck on that one. I get the feeling that the main tab sites are not going anywhere.

I completely understand the .mp3 battle, maybe even lyrics. But tab sites that help people learn songs...which they love...becuase they love the artist..doesn't seem like it's taking away "compensation for the artist". Stupid.

 

[peanutbutter12]

It's the same basic principal as with performing music live without permission. The bands write and own the songs so technically, you can't play them for a crowd unless you have permission to. This is just the MPA/RIAA trying to get more money.

CJ

 

[bumblebee62331]

Hey Do you have a link for that article? I'd be interested in doing some looking around. As for tabs being illegal - I'd like to see them control it. It's almost like saying we're not allowed to sing songs to ourselves as we have a shower People will play the songs anyway on their guitars and pass the tabs around - so why try to stop it? It's not the same as having the 'real deal' so they should just move on.

 

[peanutbutter12]

Just google "Tabs MPA" and you will get a whole listing.

What they will do is the same thing they did with Midi for the most part. Get everyone to shut down their websites by throwing lawsuits at them. :\ Sucks but that's the way the world is. We're all a bunch of Capitalists now.

CJ

 

[JarrodlovesGod]

That sucks, soon we wont be able to whistle a song without gettting jail time for it!
It would be ok if people stole them but people are making it up themselfs .. its the 1st amendment or whatever it is .. free speech "I think that this songs tab should be ..."
Who can take away our right to say what we think?? Oh wait thats right .. apparently the MPA!

 

[elenas_flickaby]

grrrrrr that's irritating

 

[Soulikz]

yep i think www.mxtabs is already shut down if i'm right?

next it'll be illegal to actually LISTEN to the words in the song. incase it gets stuck in our head and plays back without permission :o.

gosh im lame.

 

[Cathulhu]

This is just absurd. The RIAA and associated organizations have once again pressed their boundaries. Personally I think this will do little anyway, it is nigh impossible to enforce laws such as this on the internet.

 

[Idicious]

Wouldn't suprise me that in a few years playing songs by other bands becomes eligal unless you pay the band to do it (at home)

 

[TerabyTe]

The greed of people these days is just plain sickening.

 

[Amazingdave]

This is just absurd. The RIAA and associated organizations have once again pressed their boundaries. Personally I think this will do little anyway, it is nigh impossible to enforce laws such as this on the internet.

I am a proud supporter of gnutella. The RIAA can --------------(you fill in the blank)

 

[johnnieboy]

I am a proud supporter of gnutella. The RIAA can --------------(you fill in the blank)

Seems to me the proliferation of tabs on the internet get's the public interested more in the band's music, this may backfire on them and cause sales to go down. I always end up buying more of the music so I can listen to how they play the song, along with using the tabs. Or, I already have the song and just want the tabs. I guess I'll just have to get better at figuring them out on my own.

 

[big_dave25]

tabs will always be available somewhere - I doubt very much they could be made illegal.