Klarinet Archive - Posting 000175.txt from 2000/09

From: Bill Hausmann <bhausmann1@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] Copyright vs improvisation
Date: Tue, 5 Sep 2000 18:36:57 -0400

At 04:41 AM 9/5/2000 -0700, William Wright wrote:
> <><> Bill=A0Hausmann wrote:
>major cuts and other alterations are routinely made in spite of
>publishers' warnings to the contrary.
>
>
> Thank you, Bill. This is a significant piece of information (for
>me, who has never seen a rented score or the rental contract that comes
>with it) because it tells me that copyright holders expect that they
>*are* entitled to sue if I perform alterations that are sufficiently
>egregious.
> Obviously it would be counterproductive to sue community groups who
>don't have the resources to perform the show exactly as written -- most
>groups can't maintain Broadway standards, and there would be few
>customers left -- but evidently the copyright holder believes they have
>the right to sue if the alterations are malicious or sufficiently
>damaging to the show's reputation.
>
I'm sure that is PRECISELY the reason they make those statements -- to
protect the shows reputation. But it is extremely clear from looking at
rented scores and the erasures in them that cuts are made all the time. I
doubt that really bad cases come up too often, but legally they are ready
for them.

Ironically, they COULD ask performing groups for a video of the show so
they could monitor the quality of the performances, but that would, of
course, ENCOURAGE videotaping shows, something they are ADAMANTLY AGAINST!

Bill Hausmann bhausmann1@-----.com
451 Old Orchard Drive http://homepages.go.com/~zoot14/zoot14.html
Essexville, MI 48732 ICQ UIN 4862265

If you have to mic a saxophone, the rest of the band is too loud.

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