Klarinet Archive - Posting 000024.txt from 2002/02

From: Tony@-----.uk (Tony Pay)
Subj: Re: [kl] "Copyleft" Concept
Date: Mon, 4 Feb 2002 08:44:15 -0500

On Sat, 02 Feb 2002 12:06:55 -0800, kevinfay@-----.com said:

> The article contained the following observation:
>
> "It's also not clear why any mainstream artists would ever choose to
> release music under an OAL. Many bands objected to the way Napster
> members circulated their music behind their backs, so why would they
> now allow unrestricted distribution, or consent to strangers fiddling
> round with their music? Sure enough, you're unlikely to have heard of
> any of the 20 bands that have posted music on the registry. It's hard
> to avoid the conclusion that Open Audio amounts to little more than an
> opportunity for obscure artists to put themselves in the shop window."
>
> In response to Don's post, Tony Pay added:
>
> <<<Hooray!!!>>>
>
> I've purchased a few of Tony's CDs (very nice recordings, btw, esp the
> Mozart on the period basset), and quite willingly paid money for them.
> Can't help but ask the question:
>
> Tony -- will your future recordings be distributed under copyleft? If
> not, why?

It's an interesting question, even though I suspect that the 'copyleft'
concept can't be argued to be of much use for things that aren't capable
of being improved or debugged, as Eric Raymond is quoted as saying later
in the article.

Still, I suppose you can imagine that with present and future technology
some degree of modification might occur. For example, under 'copyleft',
someone (me?-) might be able to decide, for example, that the tempo of
the last movement of the Mozart recording you mention is a little too
sluggish, and put out a slightly speeded up version at the same pitch.
Or, they might decide that the flattish Eb (sounding C) on that
instrument could be improved at certain points to the benefit of the
performance, and repair that electronically.

I suppose 'copyleft' might even enable some postmodern composer to find
a way of creating a collage-type work from existing recordings without
worrying about complaints from his sources.

But I think that the music industry is in the situation that it's going
to be impossible to stop copying anyway, so we might as well take a good
look at how artists can benefit otherwise from their work.

Though in fact, people like myself never did benefit very much from
recordings. In the case of the Mozart disc you mention, I had a very
great struggle at the beginning to be paid 1000UKP (admittedly in 1984)
to make it, and almost all of that fee was swallowed up in having the
instrument made. (In fact, the only reason I could insist on that fee
was that I knew the orchestra had been booked, and was thus able safely
to refuse to do it when they said they wouldn't pay me the amount.) So
considering the time I had to take to prepare, I made a loss on the
actual disc; though of course its existence has led to performances, and
so on.

As far as my "Hooray!!!" is concerned, I was simply responding
positively to the fact that someone else for once on this list had
posted a link to an article that goes against the tendency to reinforce
the mantra "competition is always good, more competition is always
better; and furthermore, 'competition' means, *competition at any cost*,
including the obliteration of competition"; which, as you will have
gathered, I am against, for reasons I need not go into again here.

But for those reasons, this mantra will have to be abandoned as, even
though it has been useful, indeed essential in past, less
technologically developed times; and I welcome any sign that people are
considering how it may intelligibly be abandoned.

Without wishing to diminish the ultimate importance of irresponsible
software monopoly -- as I've said before, we'll look back in amazement
at our present situation in a few years time -- I'd call attention to
the fact that we are beginning to see a change of heart in the much more
pressing issue of the availability of life-saving drugs to poor people.
What will benefit shareholders is beginning to be seen by the entire
community as not the only consideration for determining action.

Tony
--
_________ Tony Pay
|ony:-) 79 Southmoor Rd Tony@-----.uk
| |ay Oxford OX2 6RE http://classicalplus.gmn.com/artists
tel/fax 01865 553339

...... Are those your eyeballs? I found them in my cleavage.

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