Hip Hop artists suing for copyright infringement over cover bands.

[BIV]

Yeaaahh booyyeee... Hip hop artists sue Spokane tavern

06:41 PM PDT on Tuesday, March 25, 2008

KREM.com DOCUMENTS (http://www.krem.com/images/032508_copyrightlawsuit.pdf) > (http://www.krem.com/images/032508_copyrightlawsuit.pdf) Read the full lawsuit (http://www.krem.com/images/032508_copyrightlawsuit.pdf) SPOKANE -- It's hard to believe that a Spokane Valley restaraunt could draw the ire of some of the biggest money makers in Hip hop.

http://www.krem.com/topstories/stories/M_IMAGE.118c14239b6.93.88.fa.d0.277c0cbc.jpg
But it has, and the plaintiffs want to get paid. To be precise they want "no more than $30,000 nor less than $750," according to the lawsuit.
The Flame, located at 2401 E. Sprague Ave., and its owners - Wang Restaraunt Enterprises, Inc., is being sued by attorneys representing such artists as "Ludacris" and "50 Cent," alleging copyright infringement.
"Neither Defendants, nor any of the Defendants' agents, servants or employees, nor any performer was licensed by, or otherwise received permission from any Plaintiff or any agent, servant or employeed of any Plaintiff to give such performances," reads the complaint, filed in Federal District Court on March 24.
"This is the first that we've heard about this lawsuit," said a manager at The Flame. "We won't comment on it until we've had a chance to review it."
The Seattle-based attorneys representing the artists could not be reached for comment.
The lawsuit says despite numerous letters and other contacts by the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), cover bands continue to perform copyrighted music without permission during business operations.
The songs in question include: "Rock the Boat," "Candy Shop," "Get Back," "Let's Talk About Sex," and "Informer."

http://www.krem.com/topstories/stories/krem2_032508_musicsuit.26b5d865.html

Doomed. Motherfucking doomed.

[Voss's Tumor]

http://www.krem.com/topstories/stories/krem2_032508_musicsuit.26b5d865.html

Doomed. Motherfucking doomed.

Actually, I really dig this. The nature of their lawsuit asked for such a small amount it's obvious they're not trying to wreck them, they're just saying "Keep us in the loop if you're going to make our shit sound stupid".

This business is trying to get around copyright laws by hiring cheap covers and paying them shit. I actually see this as a way for artists to suggest to the establishment that original material might help their art progress.

Do Ludakris and Fiddy need $30,000? They're just making a political/artistic statement.

[Glenn Dandy]

that takes brass balls from so called artists that steal (sample) most of their shit.

BRASS.

[weakside]

Good for them. People deserve to get paid for their work. I hope they win.

[d0uche_n0zzle]

that takes brass balls from so called artists that steal (sample) most of their shit.

BRASS.

I concur.

[Plunkies]

There's no such thing as a rap cover band. It's called karaoke.

[Deadbent]

Ooooh, buncha jokes to make.
I'll keep it to Samuel Serious though.

Hm. While I question the amount the artists are looking for without knowing who exactly is being served the lawsuit, I do side with them, regardless of genre of music, or skin tone. That's really not important (as much as it DOES lend to humor).

If someone is going to take what I (or anyone) puts out, and try make it their own, to profit, to capitalize, gain recognition, etc... you --are-- entitled to give credit/due/tribute(read:cash) the source.

And Glenn, I agree, it takes brass nuts and it's a bit ironic, for sample-based musicians to complain about this, but it's really nothing new.


Metallica and Megadeth squabbled about for who knows how long in the 80's. What was it even about, I don't remember. Stolen composition/structure/riffs?.
Something like that, and there are tons of other examples of it with more relevance I'm sure.


But either or, it's never good for "artists" no matter who they are, or how much they suck, to have their works taken by other people and ran with, without licensing the shit.




(edit: Ahh, didn't catch wind of the people who were being served the suit earlier. Spokane Tavern? Ha. Unless they're recording it, and putting it out on cd, media, or on the internet for money, etc...n's with a lot of cash... really never cease to amaze.)

[Voss's Tumor]

Well, generally speaking when rappers sample music it's older stuff. I equate it to rock bands just doing a different rendition of a song from a group that influenced them like when Shinedown did an acoustic "Simple Man", I don't think the remaining Van Zandts should come with their hands out.

This all started with Aerosmith and Run DMC doing "Rock this Way", but for someone to rip off your stuff like, the next day so that people don't even know who the original artist was in the first place is the fucked up way to go about it, and I think that's what was happening here.

[Deadbent]

Well, generally speaking when rappers sample music it's older stuff. I equate it to rock bands just doing a different rendition of a song from a group that influenced them like when Shinedown did an acoustic "Simple Man", I don't think the remaining Van Zandts should come with their hands out.

This all started with Aerosmith and Run DMC doing "Rock this Way", but for someone to rip off your stuff like, the next day so that people don't even know who the original artist was in the first place is the fucked up way to go about it, and I think that's what was happening here.


Eh, the legalities pretty much come down to licensing properly. Usually sampled/covered artists either give express consent or you can do crap like contacting Ascap or something, and pay for licensing x label.

And while I don't think the Van Zandts should come with their hands out, it'd only be right for Shinedown to give proper tribute. Their cover was great, and it made a ton of dough. For them to eh... "reap" the full benefit and cash from it.. from something they just "recreated" restructured or resequenced...etc.
Not really karmatically correct there, and a bit of a bitch thing to do.

That's why sample laws got crazy in the early ninties to begin with I think.

[Voss's Tumor]

Well, there should be a moratorium on Copyrights for the most part. If you do a disco remix of Beethoven I don't think his last living relatives should get a royalty check.

Extreme example, I know, but the point is that this place was just ripping their shit with no regard for their having written it in the first place. Copyright infringement and tribute bands can both exist, ya know?

[Jambi]

Well, generally speaking when rappers sample music it's older stuff. I equate it to rock bands just doing a different rendition of a song from a group that influenced them like when Shinedown did an acoustic "Simple Man", I don't think the remaining Van Zandts should come with their hands out.

This all started with Aerosmith and Run DMC doing "Rock this Way", but for someone to rip off your stuff like, the next day so that people don't even know who the original artist was in the first place is the fucked up way to go about it, and I think that's what was happening here.Actually, it dates back to the sixties. And it's "Walk This Way", just sayin'. :action-sm

Eh, the legalities pretty much come down to licensing properly. Usually sampled/covered artists either give express consent or you can do crap like contacting Ascap or something, and pay for licensing x label.

And while I don't think the Van Zandts should come with their hands out, it'd only be right for Shinedown to give proper tribute. Their cover was great, and it made a ton of dough. For them to eh... "reap" the full benefit and cash from it.. from something they just "recreated" restructured or resequenced...etc.
Not really karmatically correct there, and a bit of a bitch thing to do.

That's why sample laws got crazy in the early ninties to begin with I think.They have every right to expect royalties. Doesn't a copyright last for 50-70 years after an author dies?

[Sinn Fein]

that takes brass balls from so called artists that steal (sample) most of their shit.

BRASS.

I concur.

As do I.

[Voss's Tumor]

Actually, it dates back to the sixties. And it's "Walk This Way", just sayin'. :action-sm

Haha, fuck me I can't believe I just pulled a "My host"

[CougarHunter]

And Glenn, I agree, it takes brass nuts and it's a bit ironic, for sample-based musicians to complain about this, but it's really nothing new.


Ummmm musicians?

What the fuck instrument exactly do they play?

[Hey_Asshole]

I concur.

x2 (or is it 3)

There's no such thing as a rap cover band. It's called karaoke.

(x2)

Ummmm musicians?

What the fuck instrument exactly do they play?

Very good question!

[Voss's Tumor]

Ummmm musicians?

What the fuck instrument exactly do they play?

As someone who plays the Tuba and Piano, I can say that vocalists and rythmic poets (I get it, they rap about guns and diamonds now, it's getting better poetically, it's just gotta evolve) have my respect. Sampling a melody and laying poetry over it is going to be a legitimate art form whether or not it was racially biased to begin with.

The voice is an instrument, black people as a whole have been singing a lot longer than white people in this country, and with a lot more passion. We sing in churches, they sang every day with hymns in the fields knowing they're make it through the hard times. I remember the use of song once to keep me working... It was in Navy Boot camp with the cadence they made us sing to keep our morale up. This sounds fucking familiar. Their vocal chords are stronger. Nick the Greek was right. Black People run faster, the NFL is my evidence.

I can't sing, but I understand music on almost a mathematical level. My mind's stronger, other's voices are stronger (when it comes to specifically music and poetry, because those have historically been white-only establishments over the last few hundred years). Call me a racist, we're fucking different. They got me beat in some ways, I got them beat in some ways. It's the way that is.

[Hey_Asshole]

... black people as a whole have been singing a lot longer than white people in this country, I highly doubt that, whitey was here first. Hymns, drinking songs, sailing songs....these were all classics long before slaves were brought over. And, as much as I cant stand it, I think the genre of Bluegrass/folk type music, can be traced back to the begining of the first establishments in this country. I cant argue the facts that blacks have done great things for music though.

....Black People run faster, the NFL is my evidence. Cant argue that...its in their genes :haha7:

and btw, im not racist, I have just been drinking.

[Voss's Tumor]

Cant argue that...its in their genes :haha7:

and btw, im not racist, I have just been drinking.

Me too! I love when I can make Sinn Fein's life Hell by getting drunk and pissing people off in his forum! :action-sm

I highly doubt that, whitey was here first. Hymns, drinking songs, sailing songs....these were all classics long before slaves were brought over. And, as much as I cant stand it, I think the genre of Bluegrass/folk type music, can be traced back to the begining of the first establishments in this country. I cant argue the facts that blacks have done great things for music though.

Looking at it evolutionary in this country it's easy to see the black man has defined music. Hymns, Jazz, the magical Elvis under ground rip-off, Motown, R&B, Rap. White have symphony, metal, punk, grunge, and country. All of which (besides symphony) have some sort of basis in disenfranchisement, ie, "We Shall Survive" mentality of slaves... Before that all we had was Beethoven and My God's an Awesome God.

We hid behind religion, blacks had to deal with reality and use music to survive the mentality.

It's evolution.

[wes mantooth]

that takes brass balls from so called artists that steal (sample) most of their shit.

BRASS.

I concur.

As do I.



x4

[Jambi]

Nick the Greek was right. Black People run faster, the NFL is my evidence.

I don't mean to keep busting your balls, but are you referring to Jimmy the Greek? :action-sm

[Jef Leppard]

its a bullshit case. i doubt the performer claimed the songs as his own, and im sure theres a way to hide the $400 he probly got paid for the gig.........now the free drinks and meal is a different story

[SuperGolfer]

Eh, the legalities pretty much come down to licensing properly. Usually sampled/covered artists either give express consent or you can do crap like contacting Ascap or something, and pay for licensing x label.

That's true. Since the early 90's (and I'm too lazy to do an internet search on this right now), you have to pay if you want to use a sample of a previously recorded, copyrighted song. You also have to give credit on the album to whatever clip you use.

That's why before the late 90's it was a free for all, and you have albums like "Paul's Boutique," and after that, you have stuff like "The Chronic," et cetera.

It changed the whole art of hip-hop (please, no debates right now on whether hip-hop is an "art" or not). It forced producers to start creating their own original beats, rhythms, et cetera and pushed that industry in a whole other creative direction.

[Six-Pack]

I'm just amazed that there are hip-hop artists out there that own copyrights. Isn't it whatever band wrote the original song keeps the copyright?

[Voss's Tumor]

I don't mean to keep busting your balls, but are you referring to Jimmy the Greek? :action-sm

Mecca lecca hi, mecca hiney fuck off! :action-sm