[Dixielandjazz] Copyright - "Copywrong"?

[TCASHWIGG at aol.com]

In a message dated 8/9/04 6:53:27 AM Pacific Daylight Time, 
robert.smith at mitransport.no writes:

> 
> Judging by some of the tunes I know, I don't see how anyone manages to 
> establish copyright.
> Take a tune like "High Society". This has been variously attributed to (and 
> probably copyrighted by) King Oliver, Clarence Williams, A.J. Piron, Walter 
> Melrose, and Roy Palmer, whereas it was almost certainly written by military 
> band musician Porter Steele.
> It is even worse when there are two different tunes bearing the same name, 
> e.g. the barn dance "Ballin' The Jack" and the jazz tune of the same name 
> (also called "Ballin' A Jack").
> The barn dance version has been attributed to Chris Smith, or Moore, or 
> Unknown.

> The jazz version was attributed to Clark.
> I'm glad I won't be paying the legal fees if anyone brought a lawsuit for 
> these tunes, and certainly many others like them.
> 
> Cheers
> 
> Bob
> 

Hi Bob & All:

It is a diabolical conspiracy contrived many years ago by slickster lawyers 
in the publishing business to collect copyright  filing fees and off the naive 
songwriters and musicians for alledged (Protection) .

The truth is very simple:

You can fill out a form and write ANYTHING YOU want on it listing you as the 
author  and or arranger, words and or lyrics.  Attach a check for the Fees and 
I guarantee you you will get a receipt for filing it with the office of 
copyright which is basically all it's worth unless someone gets a million 
selliinghit off of it and they discover that you stole the song or enough of a part of 
it to infringe upon the other five hundred guys who filed a copyright on it.

Don't believe me, folks, write an original composition and file it and wat 
about six months and try to check on it with the office of copyrights,   They 
have a very very  very large file cabinet, full of all the songs and sheet music 
they have collected over the years with checks attached,   Most of the money 
they collect goes to pay the rent on the buildings that hold the file 
cabinets, and of course the salaries and heavy expenses of the guy who takes all those 
checks to the bank, and the bevy of copyright lawyers on their staff with 
mandatory obligations to have lunch every day with ASCAP lawyers, and Dinner 
meetings with BMI lawyers.

Send em your money if ya wanna, but me I figue I have as much chance of 
getting any money from them as I do winning that International Lottery, which is 
getting better, I have been notified six times this month that I won it, but I 
can't figure out which one I won because I didn't buy a ticket. :))

Cheers,

Tom Wiggins

I wrote it, it's for sale, and if you want a copy, make me an offer I'll sell 
it cheap, all forms of Whiskey, Wine and Beer shall be considered legal 
tender and acceptable.