What about people who don't have any dispute with soundchoice, ie haven't been sued, but wish to have their library audited simply for the fact that they want to prove they are legit *ie have something they can show potential gigs. What should they do?
I can see where someone who signed the above agreement would certainly be seen as guilty.
Especially clause 2
"EXISTING EVIDENCE. A Sound Choice representative has already visited one or more of your shows and gathered evidence,
including photographs, song lists, and other information, that based upon our experience reflects a high probability that
you have committed acts of infringement. You have been sued for trademark infringement involving counterfeiting. In
summary, you have been accused of playing karaoke accompaniment tracks that include a display of Sound Choice
trademarks, without owning a legal CD+G disc containing that track for each system on which you store that track."
I would also have a problem with someone marking my discs. Recipts from stores DO fade rather quickly because of the cheap paper they use it has nothing to do with the ink.
The only way i'd be ok with it, is if there was some kind of agreement before hand that if I want to sell my discs, I could contact soundchoice and then they would note the number or whatever marking they left and allow it to be transfered to another KJ with an accompanied bill of sale *so everyone would have a copy*
I certainly have no issues with showing ANYONE who asks me my collection.
However given all that, for me PERSONALLY i know i would not pass an audit under the above conditions/agreement.
Here's why.
1. I have downloaded karaoke tracks I have not bought cd+gs for. Usually it was to evalute whether i wanted to bother buying the disc or not. I always deleted the track after deciding not to buy the disc.
I have also downloaded tracks that i do own to save a bit of time from ripping my discs AND to obtain uncorrupted graphic files for the songs that I own *ie my discs were damaged enough that a clean rip was no longer possible*
2. I have no reciepts for any of my collection prior to becoming a karaoke host. Also, after i file my taxes, i usually throw everything out because I have a problem organizing things due to my disability.
3. I have bought numerous digital download tracks from websites such as Tricerasoft *including top hits monthly before I knew that they never autherized any such use of their tracks*, SBI in the UK and Zoom and Sunfly directly. I do have email copies/reciepts for these sales tho.
Now that i am better informed on how piracy affects the industry, and me personally I will be a lot more strict on how I conduct my business affairs and I will no longer be downloading anything, unless its directly from the producer.
I seriously doubt that the music publishers will be coming after me any time soon, but i do acknowledge that it is possible.
-James
I can see where someone who signed the above agreement would certainly be seen as guilty.
Especially clause 2
"EXISTING EVIDENCE. A Sound Choice representative has already visited one or more of your shows and gathered evidence,
including photographs, song lists, and other information, that based upon our experience reflects a high probability that
you have committed acts of infringement. You have been sued for trademark infringement involving counterfeiting. In
summary, you have been accused of playing karaoke accompaniment tracks that include a display of Sound Choice
trademarks, without owning a legal CD+G disc containing that track for each system on which you store that track."
I would also have a problem with someone marking my discs. Recipts from stores DO fade rather quickly because of the cheap paper they use it has nothing to do with the ink.
The only way i'd be ok with it, is if there was some kind of agreement before hand that if I want to sell my discs, I could contact soundchoice and then they would note the number or whatever marking they left and allow it to be transfered to another KJ with an accompanied bill of sale *so everyone would have a copy*
I certainly have no issues with showing ANYONE who asks me my collection.
However given all that, for me PERSONALLY i know i would not pass an audit under the above conditions/agreement.
Here's why.
1. I have downloaded karaoke tracks I have not bought cd+gs for. Usually it was to evalute whether i wanted to bother buying the disc or not. I always deleted the track after deciding not to buy the disc.
I have also downloaded tracks that i do own to save a bit of time from ripping my discs AND to obtain uncorrupted graphic files for the songs that I own *ie my discs were damaged enough that a clean rip was no longer possible*
2. I have no reciepts for any of my collection prior to becoming a karaoke host. Also, after i file my taxes, i usually throw everything out because I have a problem organizing things due to my disability.
3. I have bought numerous digital download tracks from websites such as Tricerasoft *including top hits monthly before I knew that they never autherized any such use of their tracks*, SBI in the UK and Zoom and Sunfly directly. I do have email copies/reciepts for these sales tho.
Now that i am better informed on how piracy affects the industry, and me personally I will be a lot more strict on how I conduct my business affairs and I will no longer be downloading anything, unless its directly from the producer.
I seriously doubt that the music publishers will be coming after me any time soon, but i do acknowledge that it is possible.
-James