Klarinet Archive - Posting 000034.txt from 2003/01

From: Jeremy A Schiffer <schiffer@-----.edu>
Subj: [kl] Royalties - was Peter and the Wolf
Date: Fri, 3 Jan 2003 11:04:07 -0500

On Fri, 3 Jan 2003 LeliaLoban@-----.com wrote:

> However, I'd like for the artistic community to reconsider
> whether the present length of copyright really serves the best interests of
> society.

The problem is that this has almost nothing to do with the artistic
community. As you alluded to previously, the extension laws are commonly
known as the "Mickey Mouse" laws, because Disney paid millions to
congressmen and senators to get the laws passed, so they could make
millions more on royalties.

I don't want to start a political thread, but it's no secret that our
(the United States') laws are bought and paid for by business and special
interests (which can be on the left or the right). And, as artists, and
musicians, we don't have a powerful organized lobby fighting for our
rights. On the other hand, the producers, promoters, and distributors have
one of the most powerful lobbies in the nation, and get basically anything
they want.

This is, in my opinion, the root of the problem. The publishers have been
able to tweak the system to their advantage, whereas the performers are
left behind. I'm sure the active recording artists on this list can
provide ample horror stories about their experiences dealing with
restrictive "work for hire" contracts that basically make them indentured
servants to the recording industry.

Unfortunately, as long as musicians and other artists are subjugated to
the power of the recording, publishing, and promoting industries, there's
not a lot that can be done. Hopefully, now, with the Internet and
self-publishing, newer works will be widely distributed without
restrictive copyright (much like the free software movement in the
computer world). While this won't affect anything currently copyrighted,
in fifty years, it could help balance out the situation, so our kids and
grandkids (or their kids and grandkids, for those on the list who already
have them) can enjoy performing more music, or at least having the
opportunity to study it without paying exorbitant rental fees.

-jeremy

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Jeremy A. Schiffer
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Columbia University
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