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.

[abcdaniel]

coldharbour, I think we could go on forever...

There's a lot of things people can't afford. I'd like to record in Tokyo with Trent Reznor producing

True, I should have written:

We can't afford to make the music we have the right to make.

Music, like all other arts, are part of public dialogue in our society. We have the right to use it. Quotations and collages are ok in other arts and dialogues, and it is ok in music too. Money or no money.

It might be nice to regulate sampljng, so that no one would feal cheated, just as playing cover songs and dj:ing is regulated. As far as I know, you cannot refuse someone to cover your song, as long as they don't do major changes to it. You will, however, get all the underlying work royalties, but the recording royalties goes to the covering artists.

That's where the 20% to sampled artists fit in. To provide some moderation betwen creativity and the providers of pieces used creatively.

I mean, you don't have to ask permission to play and cover a song (at least in Sweden we got the right to cover everything we want, globally, except in some very important instances), why would you have to ask permission to sample?

It would be really f'ed up if George Bush should cover one of my songs, but he hasn't got the right to do so publicly. You have to ask permission from us, if you want to use our works for religious, political, commercial or pornographic purposes. At least if you're a member of the Swedish right-holder associaiton. If this is a concern, check with your own organization.

That fine the Italian dj had to pay really makes my blood boil. That is witch-burning. It is such a petty crime compared to much other. 2000 mp3 files, that's maybe 20 000 EUR in retail vinyl at most, and if he has reported his playlists, then the artists on his harddisk would have recieved royalties anyway. 1,4 million EUR in fines!!! Copyright legal fanatism at its worst.

Happy musicmaking!