The Lawsuits Have Started In Virgina

[admin]

We respect Sound Choice as one of the best producers. We hope they are only going after true bootleggers who don't deserve to steal your shows. If you know of a KJ making money who bought a hard drive on EBay for $400 with 35,000+ songs or who bought a hard drive copy from anywhere else (it is illegal) or who swap songs with friends or other KJs, or who downloads CDG songs from MIRC servers, please turn them in to Sound Choice. We need to clean up the industry.

Here are the facts that we are aware of:

1. About six years ago Sound Choice went after a KJ in the Michigan(?) area under copyright law, who refused to settle out of court. The case went to court and the judge threw Sound Choice out, based on their claims. The KJ was cleared.

2. Sound Choice has never taken anyone to court since, to our knowledge and research.

3. They are blackmailing KJs into paying them $6500. If you sign anything as a settlement out of court you are bound under contract law to obey whatever they have you sign. Check with your own lawyer but we recommend that you never sign any contract preventing you from doing anything with karaoke.

4. If you have legally purchased all of the songs you have on your hard drive, to the best of our knowledge and research, YOU ARE LEGAL. Tell Sound Choice you'll see them in court.

5. If you have any illegal songs you did not pay for DELETE THEM NOW. If you are found with illegal songs, pray. That's your only hope.

6. Twice before MTU has paid IPJustice.org to research all current law for your rights as KJs/users of CDG legally purchased songs. Please click here to read their report. Pay special attention to "format shifting" from one media to another. It happens world-wide every day.
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[Musicman51]

Admin, thats pretty much as things stand right now, as i understand them as well. Might i just add that at this very moment, as i type. Both Sound Choice, and Chartbuster, just to list two, both consider "Format Shiffting" as being illegal. As i have read the legal suit, not one lawsuit was brought against a kj using illegal disc, all had format shiffted. I tend to think both companies are wrong about this, and your legal research is 100% correct. I have been told by my family lawyer as well, that format shiffting is legal.

[Musicman51]

or who downloads CDG songs from MIRC servers,

what'sa "MIRC" server?

[RandyMcCharles]

From what I have seen KIAA states that downloads are illegal but were themselves going to introduce legal downloads, one statement stated "in 2009". I have seen nothing from SC yet, but Charbuster has had downloads in beta for a while now and recently added MP3+G (CDG) format. They are charging $5 per track (which seem to me as more expensive than their custom discs). This feels like another case of "we are legal; our competition is not). Most UK brands have been downloading for at least a year.

http://www.chartbusterkaraoke.com/downloads.aspx

[capnvic]

Originally Posted by Musicman51

what'sa "MIRC" server?

MIRC or ICQ or similar web servers act as a place were file swapping (in particular Karaoke mp3+G) files were being shared out. This is highly illegal, since all the participants are doing is sharing files.

This was being done by some companies like KAZAA and Napster, and see what happened to them, they had to "legitimize" themselves, after the RIAA, the various publishing companies and artists launched lawsuits after them for violation of creative rights. (royalties and the lot)
These MIRC servers are on the fringe and should be avoided at all costs. If you are participating in this music swapping process, you are breaking the law, and there are other reprocussions, such as malware and other nasty little things that could happen from these downloads. I know of several people who have been members of these sites, and while some of them have seen the error of their ways, others still persist in downloading, because they don't want to pay for the disks. I have seen first hand some of the nasty little viruses these files can contain. I will not use copied disks for that reason.

Food for thought...

[Musicman51]

Thanks for the explanation. Please don't list any links we just don't need that kind of thing here. I've never heard of such a site, i have heard of Napster but thats it. Learn something new everyday. Thanks, i will avoid them at all cost. I don't even visit lyrics sites anymore because so many of them have carry a virus.

[capnvic]

Originally Posted by Musicman51

Thanks for the explanation. Please don't list any links we just don't need that kind of thing here. I've never heard of such a site, i have heard of Napster but thats it. Learn something new everyday. Thanks, i will avoid them at all cost. I don't even visit lyrics sites anymore because so many of them have carry a virus.

Wasn't planning to list any links, The reason I mentioned KAZAA and Napster is for historical reference, even though they shared music not Karaoke files....Those two companies were involved with some heavy duty lawsuits.

[ronw]

Here is and up date on va lawsuites as of monday 7 names have taken the by out offer of 6,500,00 from sound choice also, Steller Records has jumped on board go to, http://www.stellarrecords.com/ just a big mess i am still fighting