Legal Or Not? Options

[JusClownin]

Hi guys. Wasn't sure if this was the best forum for this, but here goes.

As a hobby, a friend and I record vocals on random instrumentals of recordings that we usually find on CD singles at the record store or on the net.

They are pretty humorous and have little or nothing to do with the artist who created the instrumental. We want to create site where we can share our renditions with the public for free. We both have full time careers and have absolutely no interest in selling these songs, not that anyone would buy them, or making profit off the site. It would be fully funded by out of our own pocket and we wouldn't have any advertisers. Just a personal site.

Does anyone know if we'd run into any legal problems by doing this? Like I said, it's just a hobby. Basically, we're just two old friends from high school that get together maybe 3 times a year, drink and have some fun jamming on these recordings. They are by far from "great" quality, but they're actually not so bad, for what it's worth.

Anyway, any input or advice would be great. I just fear having some big-wig artist or label sue us for something so trivial.

[straydog]

Things would be simpler if artists could just solve these matters between themselves, it's just a matter of respect for one's wishes, as prrcom said, yet there are always individuals willing to abuse this understanding, and then the law and the lawyers and the record companies come in, making things even more complicated... law is always a cold, dumb thing, unable to understand the difference between use and abuse or between intention and result, yet more and more each day the record companies are taking away artistic freedom and the goverments are voting new laws to support them earning on the backs of musicians. Where are the laws that would protect myself concerning the terms of my contract, where are the laws that would prevent them from marketing in anyway they think, even if I find it degrading for my product, where are the laws that would give me full copyright on what I want or not want to be done to my music, where are the laws that would keep them from making a fortune on my creations and myself getting a few pennies?

I remember a case where a local band had recorded a draft demo and had been -naturally- giving it around to gather opinions and fans. Somehow it got to the hands of a greedy record company, which published it as part of a collection, after of course getting the copyright for it, which the band thought was too early to worry about... the band saw it when it actually hit the record stores and, of course, they couldn't believe their own eyes. But the law could not protect them. Shouldn't it be obvious that you have the full copyright for something you have played, recorded and produced on your own?

It should be, but laws are there to protect the interests of bussinessmen and their pockets, not artists and their creativity, I think this was the whole "fuck the law" concept from the begginning...because if artists could get a decent portion of what the companies are making, nobody would actually have to worry about a small site using their music or a DJ using an 8 second sample... unless there was something ethical in the way, of course.

LepetitMartien, what is DADVSI law?

By the way, I always find such conversations thrilling... it's very interesting and helpful exchanging opinions on these matters that concern us all (though I would still prefer being able to play music without having to think about them at all)

This post has been edited by straydog: Mon 3 Apr 2006, 11:28