The MPA attacking tab sites

I dont know if you guys are aware of this, but I see you have tabs on your site so I thought I should bring it up. Several tab sites have been shut down already. The MPA is tearing the net up. Be forewarned . . .

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/4508158.stm

Last Updated: Monday, 12 December 2005, 09:17 GMT
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Song sites face legal crackdown
By Ian Youngs
BBC News entertainment reporter

Generic guitar picture
Unauthorised guitar tabs and other musical scores are widely available
The music industry is to extend its copyright war by taking legal action against websites offering unlicensed song scores and lyrics.

The Music Publishers' Association (MPA), which represents US sheet music companies, will launch its first campaign against such sites in 2006.

MPA president Lauren Keiser said he wanted site owners to be jailed.

He said unlicensed guitar tabs and song scores were widely available on the internet but were "completely illegal".

Mr Keiser said he did not just want to shut websites and impose fines, saying if authorities can "throw in some jail time I think we'll be a little more effective".

Bitter battles

The move comes after several years of bitter legal battles against unauthorised services allowing users to download recordings for free.

Publishing companies have taken action against websites in the past, but this will be the first co-ordinated legal campaign by the MPA.

The MPA would target "very big sites that people would think are legitimate and very, very popular", Mr Keiser said.

"The Xerox machine was the big usurper of our potential income," he said. "But now the internet is taking more of a bite out of sheet music and printed music sales so we're taking a more proactive stance."


Music publishers and songwriters will consider all tools under the law to stop this illegal behaviour
David Israelite
National Music Publishers' Association
David Israelite, president of the National Music Publishers' Association, added his concerns.

"Unauthorised use of lyrics and tablature deprives the songwriter of the ability to make a living, and is no different than stealing," he said.

"Music publishers and songwriters will consider all tools under the law to stop this illegal behaviour."

Sandro del Greco, who runs Tabhall.co.uk, said the issue was not serious enough to warrant jail time and sites like his were not necessarily depriving publishers of income.

Learn

"I play the drums mainly but I play the guitar as well. I run the website and I still buy the [tab] books," he said.

"The tabs online aren't deadly accurate so if someone really wants to know it they'll buy the book.

"But most of the bands I listen to don't have tab books to buy so if you get them online, that's the only way you can really learn it unless you work it out yourself."

The campaign comes after lyric-finding software PearLyrics was forced off the internet by a leading music publishing company, Warner Chappell.

'No alternative'

PearLyrics worked with Apple's iTunes, searching the internet to find lyrics for songs in a user's collection.

"I just don't see why PearLyrics should infringe the copyright of Warner Chappell because all I'm doing is searching publicly-available websites," PearLyrics developer Walter Ritter said.

"It would be different if they had an alternative service that also provided lyrics online and also integrated [with iTunes] like PearLyrics did. But they don't offer anything like that at all."

A Warner Chappell statement said the company wanted to ensure songwriters were "fairly compensated for their works and that legitimate sites with accurate lyrics are not undermined by unlicensed sites".

"We have requested that PearWorks provide us with information regarding the sources of their lyrics, and have further asked that they discontinue the service if these sources are operating without a licence."

Sounds like bollocks to me. Like the fever dreams of some 'whiplash Willie' lawyer.

Most tabs are written by other people per their own interpretations. Lyrics, though copyrighted, are public domain information after a song is released.

I suppose next these idiots will want to kick in my door and arrest me for playing a song on my guitar that I didn't compose?

I just can't believe how stupidly greedy some people are.

The thing is, are there honestly any bands out there that dont want their fans learning their songs as best as they can and sharing that with others? I can't believe that. Its all big business and its ruining music.

If I were in a succesful band id start a mailing list and send my tabs to anyone who wanted them. I'd consider it a compliment that anyone thought my work worthy of playing. Imitation is the most sincere form of flattery or however that goes.

To hell with the suits!

apparently that doesnt matter. they dont care. several sites have been shut down already, mxtabs, powertabs and many others -- too many to list. I see this site has tabs on it. This is real, this is no joke. pre-emptive action is the best way to go. the tabs should be removed. even though this isnt a huge site for tabs. the article references the desire to jail the owners of such sites. Im sure paulo doesnt want that

uh why are you on their side? I kinda doubt they'll be able to shut down every tab site. It's never gonna happen. Just like they'll never catch everyone who downloads music illegally. sooo....yeah

believe me Im not on their side, Ive sent hundreds of e-mails to supporters and affiliates of the MPA urging them to reconsider and vowing a boycott. I dont know what you are talking about. I feel that the tabs should be taken down but not deleted from the server just to slide under the radar. Sites have disappeared. How would you feel if one day this site was just . . . gone?

and I was wondering why mxtabs wouldn't work for me anymore...ridiculous. that's all I can say.

I wasn't accusing you, just asking you if you were. But yeah I know what you mean, it's all good in the neighborhood Mr. Terrapin!

bah.. this totally sucks..

tabs aren't even fucking official! how is that illegal?

It seems to me that the MPA is nit-picky and short-sighted.

My guitar teacher taught me how to play classic rock songs that he didn't write. Should the MPA go after every music teacher that does this? This is pretty much equivalent to the tabs available online. They are interpretations by fans, not the official ones published in books. I continue to be surprized at how much actual music is shared for free on the internet while tab sites get attacked. Guitar tabs sites were attacked long before Napster was.

I like to use online tabs to better understand what I like about my favorite songs and give me ideas to write my own. It's been said that all the music possible has been written so no one can really claim anything to be completely original. If I, or any of the many other online tab users, want to sell our music we will probably go to a music company to do so (but not Sony BMG - they got caught putting spyware on music CDs). The better educated we are, the better quality music we can make. This is the future of the music industry. Destroying the learning tools destroys their incomes of tomorrow.

If MPA wants to save their profits they could consider advertising on tab sites pointing out that they have the most accurate tabs. Publishing a few books on a few 'popular' bands doesn't cover the needs of the fans.

Anyway, I guess I've rambled enough for now. I hope this is useful.

AAAARGH!!! Sometimes murder is justified.

This is so stupid... I mean, WHY? Tabs aren`t illegal and, yes, they aren`t official too, so why close those sites?

Messed up and probably for real sorry to say-

What's next - they arrest us for singing songs around the campfire without an ASCAP license ? Snatch you off the street for whistling a tune?

Supposedly this is to protect the interests and income of the artists. Read: protect our corporate royalties and the billions made by management.

If there is a real problem shouldn't we hear from the artists?
And why would the artists not want the public to share their songs - increasing their popularity - and increasing their sales and their popularity and sales - etc.

So short sighted - the bitches - you know, as in female dogs... I would NEVER use a bad word here.

This is a crock. Haven't we learned once already that prohibition doesn't work?

We have. They haven't.