[Dixielandjazz] Internet broadcasting

[Richard Broadie]

Hi Larry

I spent 30 years of my life developing a mono to stereo conversion system 
that actually made the music sound better than the mono source material . 
Before Disney's lobbyists had their way with Congress, my business plan 
anticipated all those wonderful audio performances that reached age 50 
becoming public domain.  Under the old law, by "stereoizing" such 
recordings, I would have had ownership of my altered versions.  Post 
Disney's intervention, my business plans became impossible to fulfill.   I 
did some business in Europe where the performance rights situation is as it 
once was here.  But the cost of protecting my patents with each individual 
country in the EPO proved to be too expensive and without patent protection 
in each country, my protection was easily circumvented.  With 20/20 
hindsight, I should have gone the trade secret route and never have patented 
my work.  I could have saved much money and avoided many pitfalls.

Of interest to okom folks on this list, I developed my remastering process 
not for the purpose of making money but to advantageously restore our music 
so it would be more pleasing to the contemporary ear and  hopefully get it 
back into the marketplace, where it would  be more readily available for all 
who love it.

Some dreams don't come true.

Dick Broadie


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Larry Walton Entertainment - St. Louis" <larrys.bands at charter.net>
To: "Richard Broadie" <rbroadie at dc.rr.com>
Cc: "Dixieland Jazz Mailing List" <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
Sent: Thursday, July 19, 2007 3:11 PM
Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] Internet broadcasting


> In US laws are complicated but involve terms such as "70 years
>> after the copyright holder's death".
> ___________________________________________-
>
> I'm sure that will change again when the "mouse" comes up for renewal
> and there is a Republican congress.  I have little problem with protecting
> what one might call national treasures.  I think that Mickey Mouse might 
> just
> come under that category and I would have no problem with a specific law 
> for
> each one instance after the normal copyright had run out.  This would be
> similar to the national landmark laws that could extend specific works
> deemed national treasures or works but if the trend continues here works
> will be extended forever.
>
> The law was sort of orderly before and did allow works to come out into 
> the public domain in a predictable manner.
>
> That is good for people who own copyrights but constitutes a nightmare for
> everyone else.  It's impossible to find out when each person who 
> contributed
> to a copywrited work, such as arrangers etc., died.  It would have been a
> whole lot better to put a specific number of years on them from the date 
> of
> registering the copyright sort of like a patent.
>
> The reason patents run out is so that technology can be shared which is 
> generally  recognized as a good thing.  If that didn't happen we would 
> still have an Edison Company that would have a monopoly on light bulbs and 
> this would stifle commerce.  Of course if Edison were alive he would agree 
> that he and his family should have his patents forever.  If that had 
> happened we would have one movie company and one light bulb company and 
> about a hundred other companies owned by the Edison family.  Great for 
> them but not great for the country.
>
> I would think that a person or family should have to renew these things 
> rather than just letting them go almost forever.
>
> If more music was in the public domain then we might have more of the 
> music that was composed 75 years ago being performed or recorded if anyone 
> could just do it.  Then again maybe not.
> Larry
> St. Louis
>
>
> Larry
> St. Louis
>
>
>