The Lawsuits Have Started In Virgina

[Musicman51]

Looks like you've done your home work gd123. This may be helpful to some. Sure doesn't hurt. The disclaimers sound like a dandy idea in any case. I may just print those up and stick them in, may not help, but sure won't hurt. Up here the guys are putting the KIA{A} logo in their song books {they all use disc}. Stating the kia{a} is not a legitimate organization, and don't be fooled by them, and not to hire any over priced kj who claims he has a better show because he's a member and charges more. And that the kia{A} has absolutly no governing power, or standing at all in the karaoke business. They're making me up a bunch, and i'll give a few to anyone who ask me for them.

[admin]

Originally Posted by ronw

Beware KJs, Slep-Tone Entertaiment and Sound Choice Studios Are putting spotters in restaurants, bars, grills, etc. They where at one of my shows in September 2009. I was served with a lawsuite on Jan 13 2010 for displaying the Sound Choice marks without right or license at my karaoke show. You can click on the following link to view suite.

http://dockets.justia.com/docket/cou...ase_id-249441/

Originally Posted by ronw

Yes i have my originals,,, I run a clean show i dont play any singers copied songs kind of sad

If, as you say, you have a CDG disc for every song on your hard drive, then you are clean to fight a good fight.

Originally Posted by Ragnar35

It would appear that Sound Choice is fishing with a large net. How, exactly, do they verify that a KJ who performs at a bar with a computer DOESN'T have a legal CDG for each computer file they play in a bar?

I may have missed something, but it does appear that they served a large number of bars and KJs with a lawsuit, forcing them to defend themselves, without any evidence to prove that the KJs were operating illegally.

It appear to me that you have summed up the correct facts; SC is making a gross assumption that ronw has illegal copies.

SC LOST the only case that went to court because the woman they sued saw it through to the end. Any competent Judge will do as before and throw SC and their frivolous suit out of court.

MY RECOMMENDATION: Contact the Attorney General (AG) in your state for help. Each state AG is responsible to PROTECT CITIZENS AND BUSINESSES from out-of-state scams, and that is exactly what Sound Choice is doing in this case. Let the AG fight SC for you.

[Rockrz]

Once SC shows your state AG that they have actually caught people using pirated, copyright protected property, the AG is going to provide room for SC to operate because it is in fact illegal to steal copyrighted material of any kind. There are actually alot of KJs out there using loaded hard drives they bought off of somebody where they don't have any of the original discs...that's illegal and it has to be dealt with in a civil court

Heck, the government has been known to act alot worse than what SC is doing by suing numerous people just to see what they can find (not knowing if there's anything illegal going on for sure or not)

I know if somebody was out there pirating my intellectual property, I'd want to do anything I could to not only stop it, but to also make a payday out of it as well as cover the costs of pursuing the issue in the courts...wouldn't you?

[Musicman51]

Once SC shows your state AG that they have actually caught people using pirated, copyright protected property, the AG is going to provide room for SC to operate because it is in fact illegal to steal copyrighted material of any kind.

Rockrz, with all due respect, that is simply not enough. Sound choice is in the business to sue first, ask for proof later. Guilty by association. Sound choice reasoning is simple rock. If you present a show using a computer based presentation software system, you are in their eyes a pirate...period! Like saying, everyone who strikes a match is an arsonist. Look on this thread, you will find a link to a disc based kj, and club owner sued, and they have all their legal disc layed right out??? So please don't assume that just because sound choice caught some kj pirates, doesn't mean every computer based kj is also one. And this is what you are doing by making the statement you did. As Admin stated, it's a violation of our rights. Sound choice would have to convince our AG that EVERY kj using a computer based system is a pirate..not just the ones they've caught. How about the ones they sued that were legal? Should sound choice simply say..oops...sorry? They never even apologized to this kj or the bar they mistakingly targeted.

[Rockrz]

Originally Posted by Musicman51

How about the ones they sued that were legal? Should sound choice simply say..oops...sorry? They never even apologized to this kj or the bar they mistakingly targeted.

The law has a remedy for that which is to counter sue for false prosecution, slander, and I'm sure other infractions a good lawyer could come up with to slap on SC in court.

Have any of these folks that have been wrongly sued gone after SC at all?

[Musicman51]

Have any of these folks that have been wrongly sued gone after SC at all?

I can't speak for anyone else but myself. But here again, i think we are missing the point that admin was trying to make. That being, the way SC is conducting themselves, and the damage they are doing to the karaoke industry as a whole. You sue me, i'll sue you, then i'll sue you back, then i'll sue you again, then..... doesn't solve the problem we have right now. The point is, the innocent kj's are not the only victims here. Also the singers, the club owners, the manu's of software the list is endless are all victims in this mess.

Admin was trying to convey to us, the point of why should we have to put up with someone coming into our.. for lack of a better word {space}, and lable us a crook. Especially across state lines. You can never sue for enough money to get your reputation back..ever. No one likes a thief, on the other hand. No one likes to be called a thief when they're not. If you believe someone is wrongly using something that belongs to you, and you try to get a remedy through the court system, it is not "wrongful Prosecution", or "slander". However, that being said, you just can't go out and assume everyone stoled your trademark and product. It's not so much what sound choice is doing, as how they are doing it.

You see rock, SC actions are planned out. It's like you scratch my back, and i'll scratch yours. I'll let you off the hook, but what's in it for me? That's their slant on it...MONEY! Most club and bar owners and managers are not karaoke host. They couldn't tell a hot hard drive from a good one. So they're suppose to check everyones gear now? It's ridiculous. So low and behold along comes the KIAA. And for $50 they can educate you, and that also includes hiring only kj's that belong to the KIAA in your club. You say, you don't want to joint the KIAA, can't afford the 50 bucks? tough! See how this stuff works? Anyways.....good luck with your karaoke endeavors rock

[Rockrz]

The point should be if SC is mis-using the court system, then there's only one way to stop that...and that is to counter sue. Otherwise, everybody needs to quit the belly aching about how SC has decided to enforce their copyright on their products.

Looks like the thing to do is all the folks that have been wrongly sued should get together and go in to Federal Court and hold SC accountable.

If what everyone is saying about SC's actions being so wrong, then winning a court case against them shouldn't be that hard to do.

I know if it were me, and I did nothing wrong and they cost me alot of time and resources forcing me to go to court just to prove I'm operating legally...I'd want compensation, and rightfully so.

I think you can pretty much forget about the government helping anyone SC goes after wrongly because they don't care about people anyway.