Urgent Message from NMPA Regarding Your Rights

[Dr. Bob]

Learn From The Strike: Change Or Die

An interesting insight into the Writer's Strike...

The one paragraph I found most disturbing;
"The overriding caveat to any stop-gap agreements: There is no controlling who creates, commands or capitalizes on content in a viral universe. The tug of war over vague residuals this time around will not be repeated when a new pact expires in 2011. By then, profit-seekers will have carved new trails through the interactive jungle. They will know what hit content from any sources will be worth because they’ll know what consumers and advertisers will pay for it. Although the media world will be more fragmented, it will also be more lucrative–provided that it supports digital content and commerce."

So it seems the writer's are first into the grinder (in a public way) to actually take on the corporations... and it looks like they didn't actually come out too clean... fleeced maybe?

How do we, in the audio market, actually think we'll fair against the machine without some sort of formal organization?

edited for link:
It's not pretty if you read between the lines.

[Deborah Neville]

[QUOTE=Dr. Bob;113726]Learn From The Strike: Change Or Die

An interesting insight into the Writer's Strike...

The one paragraph I found most disturbing;
". By then (2011), profit-seekers will have carved new trails through the interactive jungle. They will know what hit content from any sources will be worth because they’ll know what consumers and advertisers will pay for it. Although the media world will be more fragmented, it will also be more lucrative–provided that it supports digital content and commerce."

So it seems the writer's are first into the grinder (in a public way) to actually take on the corporations...

How do we, in the audio market, actually think we'll fair against the machine without some sort of formal organization?



Bob- Thanks for the links...though as it strikes me, they both are from media sources...folks whose bread and butter come from selling adds on the internet...Read the entire post (the paragraphs I thought worthy of comment I put on my own blog fyi www.idealawyerblog.com) BUT
regarding "organization": we must surely hang together, or we will all hang separately....
And a sort of "tossed gauntlet" on personal copyright observances: how many of us permit ourselves the liberty of conscious aiding and abetting traffic of copyrighted material, and have personal justifications for pilfering and theft? What goes around comes around....The whole "traffic cop" as the only way to stop internet supported piracy is SURREAL...because citizens can't be trusted with Free Speech (can't observe the rules of fair play....) Big Brother is going to police your communication???? We must surely hang together........
dn

[Deborah Neville]

Originally Posted by Bob Olhsson

I would have agreed with that ten years ago but things have really changed. Ralph Murphy of ASCAP openly states that today publishers rarely place a song. In most cases its done by one of the writers.

Certainly getting foreign co-publishing deals are critical because publishers do most European record promotion but I think self-administration is becoming a lot more practical than it used to be. That said, nobody makes the money they should by just cashing ASCAP and BMI checks and not working their catalog. If they aren't going to work it, there are excellent administrators who will work for a percentage. There are also excellent negotiators who will save lots more than their fee securing negotiated mechanical licenses for albums.

So, for the readers, where are the names named of these negotiators and administrators? What's the best way to check their track record before hiring one? A primer on "working one's catalogue"...where can one find that gem?

[Bob Olhsson]

Good questions!

I know a few good administrators but am hesitant to name any names without permission to do so because they are very busy.

This is a new business that could be very good for everybody. I suppose music publishing is a bit like mastering. Most people know so little about it that it has a bit of a mystique.

I'll see if I can talk somebody into coming on line.

[dnafe]

Dumb Q time

Where can one find updates on the hearings?