Posting lyrics online is also apparently against the law…
Just because they can, Peermusic, Warner Music’s Warner/Chappell and Bug Music have launched lawsuits against two companies for alleged copyright infringement of… drum roll… the unlicensed use of lyrics online.
According to Billboard, the lawsuits alleged that LiveUniverse, Inc and Motive Force LLC “engaged in willful copyright infringement on a vast scale.”
“Unlicensed web sites exploiting song lyrics for profit have become a significant problem,” said David Israelite, President and CEO of National Music Publishers’ Association. “These sites are profiting on the backs of songwriters. It is unfortunate that copyright holders must so frequently divert energies to protect their rights to license and distribute their works. However, the demand for music prompts a seemingly endless stream of illegal business models.”
Israelite went on to explain that the lawsuits were filed because the two business in question are neither licensed (unlike LyricFind, Gracenote, TuneWiki, etc.) and ignored three years worth of cease and desist notices. The suit seeks “equitable relief and damages.”
Nobody seems to understand the value of music anymore. It’s not a privilege or right that you’re entitled to, it’s a good/service (depending on who you talk to) and like all goods/services, you pay for it. Lyrics are a big part of a copyrighted work, and as such they are the property of the right-holder. Sites that are posting lyrics without permission are profiting off of the property of others by selling advertisements based on number of site visits, and refusing to compensate the author/rights-holder appropriately.
Also, I agree with “S” above me, lyrics should be included in digital media purchases. Fortunately, the big 4 labels are working with Apple to create a new format for attaching lyrics, artwork, etc to digital album purchases in an effort to revamp full album sales. It’s called “cocktail” - http://bit.ly/2NzG6U
It’s not “apparently illegal”, it’s plainly and clearly illegal. This sounds like the lament of someone who just wants free stuff. I’m not sure why someone should be able to make money running a website using something someone else has written without first getting permission. There are websites you can go to that list lyrics by permission, so it’s not like you can’t go search for and see lyrics any time you want from a legitimate source.
Nobody has the right to make money using something ripped off from someone else. Should you be able to buy a book from Amazon, reprint it and sell it? If you think yes, get real. If no, how is that different from song lyrics?
That said, I think lyrics should be bundled with all digital music when you buy it, along with cover art and other stuff you’d normally get when you buy a CD. It seems like a scam that you have to get it some other place and/or pay extra for it. That’s the real ripoff the labels are perpetrating.
The music industry just doesn’t get it and they never will.
Sep 4th, 2009 at 6:38 pm
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