A while back I posted some comments about the MPA (Music Publishers Association) and their threat of legal action against OLGA (On Line Guitar Archives) and other sites for “copyright infringement.” Providing lyrics and guitar chords to a song is not theft if the publishers won't distribute that information in a simple, economical form. To my way of thinking, they're carrying this copyright infringment business a little too far.To hear the MPA tell it, anyone patronizing such sites is clearly and simply a thief, stealing bread from the mouths of babes, presumably, the children of songwriters and composers. But, their arguments have a hollow ring to them. I recently had an opportunity to interview G. “Machine-head” Major of the Association.
Q. Why the big fuss about websites offering free, simplified tab or lyrics to songs?
A. Our members pay substantial sums to the creators and owners of the music we represent for the right and privilege to bring this music to the public in authorized sheet music products. Our members also put tremendous effort and incur significant expense in arranging, engraving, editing, marketing and distributing those products.
Q. What if I don’t want all the fancy arranging, engraving and packaging?
A. Tough tit, you take whatever we give you, pay through the nose and may, optionally, kiss our ass on the way out.
Q. But, the fancy engraving and packaging make your product too expensive for the average Joe.
A. Absolutely. Without the fancy engraving and packaging we couldn’t justify the big bucks we demand for our product. So, you take whatever we give you, pay through the nose and may, optionally, kiss our ass on the way out.
Q. I don’t read standard musical notation, is there anyone publishing simplified versions with just the lyrics and guitar chords?
A. Yes. But, we’re taking legal action to shut the bastards down. If those sites interfere with our right to sell you over-priced products that you don’t want, we’ll brand their sorry ass with a capital “T”, for thief.
Q. Isn’t that a little drastic? After all, these sites are not selling the information; they’re giving it away free and/or providing the public a forum in which to exchange the information.
A. Exactly. And, if they give it away, just who in hell will want to buy our books with the fancy engraving and the pretty pictures, you bloody moron.
Q. What if I want the lyrics and guitar chords to a song that has never been published, as sheet music or tab, and likely never will be?
A. Tough tit, at the risk of repeating myself, you take whatever we give you. We suggest you learn a song that has been published or put your guitar up for sale. We can’t be expected to publish material that only a small percentage of the people want; there’s no profit in it.
Q. How can one publisher offer a book with the melody line, guitar chords and lyrics to over a hundred songs for under ten dollars, while another wants to charge twenty dollars for only eight or ten songs?
A. Supply and demand, you dumb ass. Plus, the more expensive of the two comes with fancy engraving, fancy packaging and has lots of pretty pictures . . . and I won’t even mention the ads for other books. What are you, some kind of commie? We live in a capitalist society. We will not allow anyone or anything to interfere with our right to gouge the public.
Q. Have you ever thought of offering a similar product as those offered by these “illegal” web sites, as you call them, preferably at a reasonable price?
A. Offering similar product would cut into the profits from the books with the fancy engraving and packaging. Sales of music books and instructional material have already begun to decline. You really are some kind of commie. We’re in the business of selling music.
Q. Has it ever crossed your mind that maybe your declining sales might be attributable to your failure to provide the consumer with the product they want at a price they are willing to pay?
A. Yes. But why should we go to all the trouble of building our own web site, and offering free content to budding guitar players, when we can simply demand money from those who have already done the work? Now, get the hell out of here, you commie bastard. We live in a capitalist society. We have a right to maximize profit and we will not allow anyone or anything to interfere with our right to gouge the public to the maximum.
Q. One last question: How do you respond to people who say that music is about much more than money?
A. Don’t be so f**king stupid.
Q. Why the big fuss about websites offering free, simplified tab or lyrics to songs?
A. Our members pay substantial sums to the creators and owners of the music we represent for the right and privilege to bring this music to the public in authorized sheet music products. Our members also put tremendous effort and incur significant expense in arranging, engraving, editing, marketing and distributing those products.
Q. What if I don’t want all the fancy arranging, engraving and packaging?
A. Tough tit, you take whatever we give you, pay through the nose and may, optionally, kiss our ass on the way out.
Q. But, the fancy engraving and packaging make your product too expensive for the average Joe.
A. Absolutely. Without the fancy engraving and packaging we couldn’t justify the big bucks we demand for our product. So, you take whatever we give you, pay through the nose and may, optionally, kiss our ass on the way out.
Q. I don’t read standard musical notation, is there anyone publishing simplified versions with just the lyrics and guitar chords?
A. Yes. But, we’re taking legal action to shut the bastards down. If those sites interfere with our right to sell you over-priced products that you don’t want, we’ll brand their sorry ass with a capital “T”, for thief.
Q. Isn’t that a little drastic? After all, these sites are not selling the information; they’re giving it away free and/or providing the public a forum in which to exchange the information.
A. Exactly. And, if they give it away, just who in hell will want to buy our books with the fancy engraving and the pretty pictures, you bloody moron.
Q. What if I want the lyrics and guitar chords to a song that has never been published, as sheet music or tab, and likely never will be?
A. Tough tit, at the risk of repeating myself, you take whatever we give you. We suggest you learn a song that has been published or put your guitar up for sale. We can’t be expected to publish material that only a small percentage of the people want; there’s no profit in it.
Q. How can one publisher offer a book with the melody line, guitar chords and lyrics to over a hundred songs for under ten dollars, while another wants to charge twenty dollars for only eight or ten songs?
A. Supply and demand, you dumb ass. Plus, the more expensive of the two comes with fancy engraving, fancy packaging and has lots of pretty pictures . . . and I won’t even mention the ads for other books. What are you, some kind of commie? We live in a capitalist society. We will not allow anyone or anything to interfere with our right to gouge the public.
Q. Have you ever thought of offering a similar product as those offered by these “illegal” web sites, as you call them, preferably at a reasonable price?
A. Offering similar product would cut into the profits from the books with the fancy engraving and packaging. Sales of music books and instructional material have already begun to decline. You really are some kind of commie. We’re in the business of selling music.
Q. Has it ever crossed your mind that maybe your declining sales might be attributable to your failure to provide the consumer with the product they want at a price they are willing to pay?
A. Yes. But why should we go to all the trouble of building our own web site, and offering free content to budding guitar players, when we can simply demand money from those who have already done the work? Now, get the hell out of here, you commie bastard. We live in a capitalist society. We have a right to maximize profit and we will not allow anyone or anything to interfere with our right to gouge the public to the maximum.
Q. One last question: How do you respond to people who say that music is about much more than money?
A. Don’t be so f**king stupid.
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