The Lawsuits Have Started In Virgina

[Musicman51]

I found this on another site, thought i'd just pass one persons thoughts along, what he bases this on, i have no idea. Is he right or way off base?...again, you make up your own mind.


Here are a few more of the myths that exist until this day about pirates:

Pirates charge less
Pirates are bottom feeders
Pirates don't spend money on anything
Pirates don't know what they are doing
Pirates don't keep their libraries up to date
Pirates are not professionals at running karaoke shows and running their businesses

Here are the facts in my area:
The first pirates were people who had established shows and switched from disc to computers
The original pirates here spent a good deal of money on their equipment long before they became a pirate
The original pirates here spent a good deal of money on their libraries before they became a pirate
Some of the pirates are using CAVS systems and don't even realize they are pirates. They run their shows like anyone else and complain about the pirating going on.
The newer pirates can and do purchase better equipment and software than the older shows have because of all their money can be directed to purchasing those things rather than spending $000's on a library. And it is so easy for them to multi-rig; just get more equipment.
One pirate charges more money because he has multiple rigs and has to pay the help!
None of the pirated libraries I am familiar with have any noticeable "flaws"
If there are many dups in their files, so what. A library of 100,000 containing 50% dups still leaves 50,000 unique songs. I have a library of less than 15000 with over 25% dups!
The pirates here know as much about running a show as anyone. Several work everyday of the week.
With the size of their libraries pirates CAN'T print complete books and most don't print any. People have been trained to simply put in their requests because the tracks is there. Hence, the pirate saves even more money by not printing books.
I can only think of 5-6 shows that are run off of discs around here!

So what is the downside for the person who unknowingly hires a pirate? And what is the downside for the person who attends a pirate's show, particularly if they are finding tracks that they can't find elsewhere? And how about singing with some of the best equipment around. For example, are Shure mics and 12" QSC speakers good enough for Karaoke, accompanied by a QSC sub?

And some think SC will help make it go away. Well, IMHO, once SC is done with their audits and out of the picture, the existence of pirated SC tracks will triple..... and the number of pirates will likely increase, as well!

[bryant]

Originally Posted by Musicman51

I found this on another site, thought i'd just pass one persons thoughts along, what he bases this on, i have no idea. Is he right or way off base?...again, you make up your own mind.


Here are a few more of the myths that exist until this day about pirates:

Pirates charge less
Pirates are bottom feeders
Pirates don't spend money on anything
Pirates don't know what they are doing
Pirates don't keep their libraries up to date
Pirates are not professionals at running karaoke shows and running their businesses

Here are the facts in my area:
The first pirates were people who had established shows and switched from disc to computers
The original pirates here spent a good deal of money on their equipment long before they became a pirate
The original pirates here spent a good deal of money on their libraries before they became a pirate
Some of the pirates are using CAVS systems and don't even realize they are pirates. They run their shows like anyone else and complain about the pirating going on.
The newer pirates can and do purchase better equipment and software than the older shows have because of all their money can be directed to purchasing those things rather than spending $000's on a library. And it is so easy for them to multi-rig; just get more equipment.
One pirate charges more money because he has multiple rigs and has to pay the help!
None of the pirated libraries I am familiar with have any noticeable "flaws"
If there are many dups in their files, so what. A library of 100,000 containing 50% dups still leaves 50,000 unique songs. I have a library of less than 15000 with over 25% dups!
The pirates here know as much about running a show as anyone. Several work everyday of the week.
With the size of their libraries pirates CAN'T print complete books and most don't print any. People have been trained to simply put in their requests because the tracks is there. Hence, the pirate saves even more money by not printing books.
I can only think of 5-6 shows that are run off of discs around here!

So what is the downside for the person who unknowingly hires a pirate? And what is the downside for the person who attends a pirate's show, particularly if they are finding tracks that they can't find elsewhere? And how about singing with some of the best equipment around. For example, are Shure mics and 12" QSC speakers good enough for Karaoke, accompanied by a QSC sub?

And some think SC will help make it go away. Well, IMHO, once SC is done with their audits and out of the picture, the existence of pirated SC tracks will triple..... and the number of pirates will likely increase, as well!

oh,hummmm, well you obviously don't come from Northern New England, because all those "Myths" about pirates are right on the mark, i.e.,none of them have spent hardly any money at any time and they have all undercut all of the legals here, period. and they came ridng on the coat-tails of those who HAVE spent much to get all these shows started in the area in the first place.

[marklwood]

All I can say is, I have spent WAY more than $6,500 on SC disks. If I were starting another system, or just starting out, I would GLADLY pay $6,500 for all of SC's catalog. I paid out more than that for the first 4,000 songs back when I first started.

[ddouglass]

But that is for what they have left after selling the rights to their older songs to someone else.

[RandyMcCharles]

And you don't get the disks. After paying $6500 and pleading guilty in order to avoid losing more that $6500 to win your case, you still don't have the disks. (Pleading guilty assumes you already acquired the files on a hard drive.) Guess your only option is to go beg a copy of an illegal KJ's hard drive

[Musicman51]

all those "Myths" about pirates are right on the mark, i.e.,none of them have spent hardly any money at any time and they have all undercut all of the legals here, period.

I dunno, i think pirating cdg disc or hard drives or whatever, is like real life. Normally, a theif is slick, mixes in with others, looks, acts, like a normal person of his own trade. I bet the average pirate can put on as gooda or better show, and have just as gooda gear as a legal newbie just starting out, with no experience. Maybe if i keep watching out for a bumbling, clumbsy, dude, who has beat up gear, a 13" walmart picture tube singers TV, plastic gemini10" speakers which distort with every sang word. Radio Shack mics. Has a libray which boost 100,000 songs but can't find "Hotel California" and doing his show for $50 i have spotted my first pirate. But ya know..somehow i doubt thats gonna be the case.

[muzicman144]

Originally Posted by Musicman51

I dunno, i think pirating cdg disc or hard drives or whatever, is like real life. Normally, a theif is slick, mixes in with others, looks, acts, like a normal person of his own trade. I bet the average pirate can put on as gooda or better show, and have just as gooda gear as a legal newbie just starting out, with no experience. Maybe if i keep watching out for a bumbling, clumbsy, dude, who has beat up gear, a 13" walmart picture tube singers TV, plastic gemini10" speakers which distort with every sang word. Radio Shack mics. Has a libray which boost 100,000 songs but can't find "Hotel California" and doing his show for $50 i have spotted my first pirate. But ya know..somehow i doubt thats gonna be the case.

George, I agree with you totally. I have seen known, confessed pirates doing a first class show, getting top money, and doing it well. Talk all you want to, but, pirate or not, you don't keep doing shows for top money if you can't produce. Accept it, pirates are as skilled as the best of the legals, and in some cases better. If you lump them as second rate entertainers, you certainly misjudge the competition.
muzicman144

[RIKKI TIKKI]

I was trying to remember what the disc cost was for those early cdg's, but can only vaguely remember what I paid for the early DK's, BMB's, then Music Maestro, Priddus, Sound Choice, Sunfly, American Gold, Dangerous, Hellavadisc, Star Disc, Chartbuster, Etc., Etc., Etc. ( Not to mention the 5 or 6 Manus that I get my Spanish cdg's from.)

I estimated it at $2/song, quite a few years back, and with my meager 13,000 song library ( with about 3500 duplicates ) that would set me back at least $20,000 over the last 17 years, which doesn't seem that bad, until you try to justify starting up in the business today, and wanting to have a huge library to start, and that illegal hardrive with 20,000 songs on it over there on E-Bay for $300.00, and I can see where the nubies would go, before weighing the legalities, or knowing what legal remedies that Sound Choice is now persuing, in order to recap some of their lost revenue.

I can sleep at night knowing that I'm legal, but will jump on anyone's band wagon, that will make it harder for the Pirate's to make a living, by undercutting the legit KJ's. I'll start by showing the club owners/mgmt, what Sound Choice is doing, as it goes after the venue also, if they are knowingly hiring a KJ with an illegal set of discs, or hardrive, and then as a last resort, I would turn in the illegal KJ to the Sound Choice Legal team, and still be able to sleep easily about it. I'll let my hosting skills compete for business against another legit KJ, but I'll also play nasty when it comes to some pirate trying to take the money out of my wallet...

[RandyMcCharles]

Interesting point on new startups. I don't know of any around here. All of the KJs have been around for years or work for "Karaoke World" who owns and maintains a large amount of gear including CDG racks (bought at wholesale as they also own the city's only karaoke retail store). The newest independant KJ I know bought her system from a retiring KJ at a good price. The other independants have been around for decades. If I were to 'start out' from scratch it would take decades just to recoup the initial outlay for a good track selection. I think if producers like Sound Choice 'really' wanted to promote legitimate business they would provide their catalog as 'lease to buy' in order to reduce the initial outlay for a startup.

[Lonman]

Originally Posted by RIKKI TIKKI

I was trying to remember what the disc cost was for those early cdg's, but can only vaguely remember what I paid for the early DK's, BMB's, then Music Maestro, Priddus, Sound Choice, Sunfly, American Gold, Dangerous, Hellavadisc, Star Disc, Chartbuster, Etc., Etc., Etc. ( Not to mention the 5 or 6 Manus that I get my Spanish cdg's from.)

I estimated it at $2/song, quite a few years back, and with my meager 13,000 song library ( with about 3500 duplicates ) that would set me back at least $20,000 over the last 17 years, which doesn't seem that bad, until you try to justify starting up in the business today, and wanting to have a huge library to start, and that illegal hardrive with 20,000 songs on it over there on E-Bay for $300.00, and I can see where the nubies would go, before weighing the legalities, or knowing what legal remedies that Sound Choice is now persuing, in order to recap some of their lost revenue.

I can sleep at night knowing that I'm legal, but will jump on anyone's band wagon, that will make it harder for the Pirate's to make a living, by undercutting the legit KJ's. I'll start by showing the club owners/mgmt, what Sound Choice is doing, as it goes after the venue also, if they are knowingly hiring a KJ with an illegal set of discs, or hardrive, and then as a last resort, I would turn in the illegal KJ to the Sound Choice Legal team, and still be able to sleep easily about it. I'll let my hosting skills compete for business against another legit KJ, but I'll also play nasty when it comes to some pirate trying to take the money out of my wallet...

When I started buying music, cdg's weren't prevelant up here yet, still laserdiscs - those ran 120-150 PER disc for 28 songs.
DK, SC, MM were the first ones in this are and those discs ran approx $45-50 per disc for 15-18 songs - depending on brand. Even the 'cheaper' brands of today ran around $30 each disc. This was back in 93-95.

[Lonman]

Originally Posted by RandyMcCharles

And you don't get the disks. After paying $6500 and pleading guilty in order to avoid losing more that $6500 to win your case, you still don't have the disks. (Pleading guilty assumes you already acquired the files on a hard drive.) Guess your only option is to go beg a copy of an illegal KJ's hard drive

No you get copies of the discs they still produce, and need to delete anything that is discontinued - and look for a used copy like any other 'legal' kj would.