[Dixielandjazz] Copyright infringement

[TCASHWIGG at aol.com]

In a message dated 10/12/04 10:54:27 AM Pacific Daylight Time, 
sign.guy at charter.net writes:

> .  They do if you go on TV or radio even though you may be unaware of the 
> payments.  They have to keep a play log with how many times a tune is aired 
> for payments to ASCAP and others.
> 

Not quite anymore Larry:

They got so powerful that they now just march into every TV and Radio Station 
in the world and ask to see their Gross Advertising sales records, and access 
them a hefty percentage of the gross sales as payoff for not having to log 
all the songs or jingles anymore, not to mention they also hit the advertising 
agencies that created the jingles as well and on and on and on from every 
source they can find to tap that plays a note of music.  Shopping malls, 
restaurants playing the radio, clubs, pizza parlors, you name it, jukebox operators who 
are controlled by the same Mafia that started these operations in the first 
place.

They even stoop so low as to hit Doctors and Dentists offices for playing 
background music to soothe their patients while they work on them, they are 
totally shameless and often merciless vultures.  The have fees built into the 
manufacturing of cassette tapes and blank CDs, they get it from radio 
manufacturers, and anybody else that sells stereo equipment and televisions that they can 
bamboozle into paying them.

They are all Legitimate Extortion businesses now however reporting and paying 
taxes so guys like Al Capone no longer have to got to jail for tax evasion.

All purporting to collect money for the artists and help them unfortunately 
most of it is taken off the top long before any poor songwriter gets a 
pittance.  The exceptions are the Older guys who got in on the ground floor with their 
publishing companies, etc., and bought up all the rights to every song they 
could find that became a hit.  Publishing catalogs are worth far more money 
than most major record companies, and few folks in our business are even aware of 
this fact.

That is why big operations like Michael Jackson's enterprises try to buy up 
publishing rights on the Beatles, and Elvis Presley etc. they are virtual gold 
mines that will be mined for centuries to come, as are the Gershwins and Cole 
Porters catalogs. etc.

Ask a football or baseball stadium how much the embezzel out of them a year 
to play the National Anthem, or take me out to the ball game by the organist, 
or in some cases now the DJ?   The base it on how many seats are in the stadium 
pro-rated on a sellout at every event.   Big Bucks and easy pickings for 
them.

That's where the big bucks are, Okom is bar tab money for these guys to keep 
them out on the streets to harrass the poor starving working class musicians.

Cheers,

Tom Wiggins