SoftJock Rick said:
Sorry, I thought that was a certain karaoke manu's tag line. You do seem to be following it well though...
Without being outright blatant -- ok, it's late, I'll be blatant. Who's side are you on Mimi?
My analyst side, tells me yer a schill. Only a schill would play both sides of the coin. If so, you are doing a fair job of gaining confidence, but still not totally believable.
So tell me -- who won the world series in 1944...?
I fail the sports test but I guess I could google an answer.
I'm on my side. I go back and forth depending on new info. I have "friends" on either side of the issue. My absolute belief is that many argue based on speculation and until anything actually happens in an area I know, I won't really know how Sound Choice is conducting their investigations or what affect it will have.
No matter what side, I don't like the innuendo, accusations or giving out of personal info. I don't think everyone against SC is a pirate and I don't think everyone for them is a schill. I don't think people that disagree with someone should have their emotional/mental status questioned. I don't equate disagreement with dislike.
Where I stand today: I don't believe doing a better show is enough. I know people who did a good show that have lost more than they want to admit on here. If that were enough, pirates would be out of business and not multiplying exponentially. I believe that the piracy problem is not just one of stolen music but of dragging the perception of what a karaoke show can be down to the point that no one understands why they should pay anything for it. I fear that we won't be able to get music as freely if companies can't make a profit on it. I think pirates are killing the industry, not Sound Choice.
I believe that if the laws would catch up with the technology that the karaoke manufacturers would love to sell us downloads and songs by reluctant to agree artists and not lose their market to overseas where the rules are different. I don't think it is a control trip on their part. I think some people have decided the SC thing is to wipe out computer use and I don't think that is the intention. Even the dreaded KIAA (no, not a member) says on their website that a goal is to lobby for legalizing alternative ways of playing karaoke.
I think what Sound Choice is doing could raise awareness about the piracy issue and give some teeth to it because, at least around here, bar owners will try to get away with whatever they think they can get away with. I'm not afraid of them being scared off karaoke as only the ones who were operating totally on a shoestring and not doing it right, anyway, will lose it. The ones making a profit with it will do what they need to keep it. I think the fear of anyone and everyone being sued is overblown. I may be wrong but that is how I am seeing it now.
I haven't seen anyone come on here saying that they settled even though they were innocent because they felt "extorted." There has been one who admitted he settled because his library had illegal songs. So is it extortion if you are making people who stole something pay? They seem to have gotten off pretty easy, considering.
On the other hand, I wish KJAthena hadn't been put through what she went through, although I understand her position in supporting the suits. I understand the objections to SC being the karaoke police but don't see anyone else doing anything so I understand why she wanted to take a chance on seeing change in her area. She says she has. I am of a mind to register with the Safe Harbor and see what happens. It is free at this point so it is worth the experiment.
I would feel better about Sound Choice if they had compensated Athena for her lawyer fees or gave her some songs or something. I would feel better about them if Kurt Slep didn't name people on forums who had given him info or say some of the things he has said that seem petty and unprofessional. I think some of the things being said by people who support Sound Choice in order to create doubt about people who don't support SC have not reflected well on SC. But I don't know if I truly believe Sound Choice is the evil empire. Maybe they just aren't perfect. I just don't have all the info.
Schill? Not being paid, not being sent free discs, not being promised anything. My only contact with Kurt Slep/Sound Choice, other than buying discs/players has been an email asking me to name the pirates I've talked about in this forum. I'm in a territory where someone has already beat me to it. The only pirates I have personally turned in to date are two Craigslist ads that were advertising making custom CD&Gs out of SC songs. That seemed like a reasonable thing to stop.
I have met Wall in person once. We are in adjoining "territories" and I have tried to keep cordial relations with any legal host in our area--which so far is 3. We share some pirates and have discussed them and their latest antics. I don't agree with everything Wall does or says and he knows that. But he is up front about what he believes and does so you have to credit him that. But he is out for his own company and not throwing any crumbs to ours which I don't expect. If you want to get rid of Wall, just tell the Keep Tahoe Blue people that he has threatened to add to the nitrogen load/algae bloom by putting pirates at the bottom of the lake and he will be shredded in short order.
I don't know Thunder and have never PMed with Thunder.
I like Sound Choice music and hope they don't go out of business. Their music plays really well amplified, is consistantly good and makes me happy. We have many brands in our library so could survive without it but don't want to.
I think some on here are so into their analysis of the situation that they can't accept any info that might shake it. I have modified mine as new info comes out. Does that make me playing both sides? We have not been at this as long as some and don't have the long history of Sound Choice relations so are analyzing as we go. The only playing has been lately when people have been so patronizing or unreasonable in their posts toward me that I decided I didn't want to add to the endless arguing and would just agree with them and do a comedy routine because the thread was beyond contributing anything new of substance anyway.
Now this thread has been momentarily hijacked to "all about me" but I was asked so there you have. it.
Tonight: Negra Modelo.
