[Dixielandjazz] Copyright

[TCASHWIGG at aol.com]

In a message dated 8/6/04 8:11:46 AM Pacific Daylight Time, mjl at ix.netcom.com 
writes:

> 
> Back when I asked about this, the only real answer that resulted was "if 
> it's been recorded, simply consider it copyrighted."
> 
> There's a fairly informative copyright info page someone posted back 
> than that indicated that federal law and trial lawyers conspire to keep 
> the issue murkier than ever,
> -- 
> Etc

Your absolutely correct Mike:

The last revised issue of the Copyright laws I had was 750 pages of fine 
print that nobody could understand even in a court room full of lawyers and 
judges, from RIAA,  ASAP and BMI.  They eventually threw out the copyright 
infringement charges and charged the defendants with Grand Theft Larceny and convicted 
them in thirty minutes.

My suggestion is simple and from the book of REALITY Chapter One.

Keep it Simple, Put the circle c copyright notice on the copies, go mail them 
to yourself by registered mail, record a copy of them and do the same thing 
with it.  Put em back in the closet and forget about them.  In the event ANYONE 
ever hears about them and wants to use them simply go to the closet and get 
them, run down to Kinko's and print them a copy and collect whatever you and 
the person is willing to agree that they are worth, and if you have enough of 
them you will make more money on that one sale than it will cost you to register 
them with the US Copyright office anyway.  Better to use the money to buy 
yourself a beer than to buy one for the guy in the copyright office.  Unless of 
course your expecting to get a windfall of royalties form ASCAP and BMI.  :))

P.S.  Better sell about four sets anyway to cover the cost of the Registered 
mail first.

As for me and the file cabinets full of them I have I find it more profitable 
and far less frustrating to just go by a six pack once a year and sit and 
drink it while flipping through the file cabinet saying to myself, SELF someday 
you could be rich with all these, :)  Yeah right.

A Mind is a Terrible thing to Waste,  you have a good one, 

Do a search and find a book called "Just For the Record" By Shad O'Shay who 
is out of Cincinnati Ohio, I think his publishing company name is Counterpoint 
Creative Publishing or something like that.  Also has a Recording studio there 
named Counterpoint Studios if I recall right.  He made much more money on 
selling that great 700 page book of expose on the Copyright office, BMI & ASAP 
than he ever made on his songs and recordings.

Funny reading too, at least he learned to laugh about what a laughing matter 
they all are and just another scam to rip off the unsuspecting songwriter.

All those lawyers who murky the issues of copyright are paid for with the 
monies collected by BMI & ASAP & RIAA just to protect their own Mafia system of 
extortion.  They keep revising the laws so the owners can't prove that they 
actually own any rights at all and so they can go into courts and prove that they 
own them and you have to prove that they don't and most artists and 
songwriters stop after the first hundred bucks a letter they pay for from their 
attorney to the.

Buy the Beer and enjoy your retirement amigo.

Cheers,

Tom Wiggins

Been there and been had that way too.  :)