Author: Mike Clarinet
Date: 2006-08-24 08:14
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So the music industry wants to charge music shops royalties because their customers MIGHT play something when trying instruments? A private citizen can then sue the police because they MIGHT be are wrongfully arrested. A company can sack its employees because they MIGHT steal office supplies. That is outrageously stupid, and the only people who would win from such a situation are lawyers.
If performance is playing when anyone else can hear, then the only place to play is in a sound-proof room. I suspect that a lot of us practice at home where parents / partners / children / dog / cat / goldfish can hear you. What about the instrument teachers? Your students play so that you can hear them. Is that a performance? If you play with a window open and someone passing outside hears you, is that a preformance? If you play in your ensemble rehearsal so other people can hear you is that a performance? If someone in the street whistles a tune that they just heard on the radio, is that a performance???
I am all for protecting the rights of copyright holders where applicable - after all, for the professional composer (for example), (s)he relies on royalties to buy food, educate the kids, pay the mortgage etc. But charging people to try out instruments is pure greed on the part of the music industry and will only help suppress music of all kinds. For a music insider's view, I would recommend listening to Rush: Spirit of Radio. ( Yeah, I know Canadian Progressive Rock isn't to everyones' taste). I would quote the appropriate lyrics, but I might be infringing copyright...
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...Just my thoughts / opinions.
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