Composers should also get paid (was: Fripp & Eno 1973 / BBC / Peel /RIAA)

[Per Boysen <perboysen@gmail.com>]

On 9 jul 2007, at 18.39, Rev Fever wrote:

> The RIAA.   What a bunch of thugs and vicious brown shirts.
>
> Years ago, I knew of a restaurant in Dallas TX that had a guy who  
> played PIANO in there for the soft and smooth entertainment of the  
> diners,
> and he played well known songs from sheet music.  Well, one day,  
> the RIAA showed up and FINED the restaurant since the place was not
> PAYING the royalties to have that guy play those tunes on the  
> piano!!  This resulted in the place NO MORE having a piano player
> and the guy LOST his JOB, which very likely was NOT some high wage  
> job to begin with, and was supplemented by any tips he managed to get.
> So, that poor guy was quickly and suddenly unemployed.   Welcome to  
> Corporate World.

So what?

I can't argue against the RIAA being bad guys. But it seems you have  
misunderstood the point in the system that takes care of composers  
rights to their work. The point is not to sack bar pianists but to  
create an option for creative people to make a living as composers. I  
fully support that!

On the other hand, it may be that the RIAA are using too heavy tools  
as their administrative routines when assembling the tariffs  for  
using others songs in public (money that are distributed back to the  
composers). But be careful not throwing away the respect for  
composer's work only because of some brown shirt attitude clerks.

Greetings from Sweden

Per Boysen
www.boysen.se (Swedish)
www.looproom.com (international)