Really that’s about all the information I have. I’m sending off an e-mail right now to get “complete contest rules” but the only thing I know right now is it’s a 3,000 word essay on a “compelling legal issue facing the music industry.”
Now, the first thing I thought of was Napster. That was immediately followed by the thought of “everyone and his mother’s left nipple will think of Napster. I want something different.”
Problem is, I can’t think of anything different. Any lawyers, any professionals in the music industry, any creative people out there who might have suggestions or real life situations you’ve encountered but haven’t yet solved?
Much thanks and appreciations to all in advance. Especially if I choose yours.
All I can think of is stuff like “is it sampling or stealing?” Embarrassingly, what I’m specifically thinking of is (as I remember it) the big flap with Vanilla Ice and Queen–“Under Pressure.”
Also the moral/liability issue: Was it Black Sabbath that was sued when a kid committed suicide? Now there’s Eminem: I heard Tori Amos’ version of “Bonnie & Clyde '97” and it gave me the willies.
Maybe something to do with legal contracts, and how sometimes, like in Leann Rhimes case, an artist gets signed into a contract when they’re really too young to know what’s really up, manipulated by their parents/agents/popstar searching record companies. It seems like all the pop star things now aren’t just singers, they’re toy franchises and clothing trend starters too. Is there a responsibility there?
Lyrics and distribution: like movies, sometimes artists are punished with limited distribution for questionable lyrics, like Sheryl Crow being banned from WalMart, because of her line about them selling guns.
Good luck with the paper.
There might be something worthwhile in the Clear Channel Entertainment situation, wherein they own the largest chain of radio stations and the major concert prodution companies. I believe a rival promoter in Denver is suing them over contentions that if artists play concerts for a rival promoter they fear that their records won’t get played on the Clear Channel stations. The promoter suing is NIPP, Nobody In Particular Presents. Lots of legal ground there to range around in. http://www.denverpost.com/Stories/0,1002,33%7E168415,00.html?search=filter, http://www.denverpost.com/Stories/0,1002,33%7E134189,00.html?search=filter
Well. if you can find the original wording, RIAA tried to put an amendment onto the anti-terrorist bill which would allow them to implement “trojan” software to scan your PC and delete or destroy anything they wanted on it (NOT limited to music): that got killed, but they are still threatening to launch Denial-Of-Service attacks. With their history of technical knowledge and appreciation, I figure if they launched one against a single user in the midwest, it would somehow manage to bring down all of the US, most of Europe, and large portions of the rest of the world…
Or, if I vacation in Australia and buy a DVD, I can’t play it when I get home - not because it is PAL rather than NTSC coded or anything, but they put a “region code” on DVD’s and forced/cooperated the hardware makers to use it…
This was actually what I was thinking, too. There have been a couple of criminal cases where “the music made me do it” has been tried as a defense as well. (Disclaimer: previous comment based on half-remebered Justice Files type program, please do not ask for details)
Fibonacci, thanks, I’m looking at the websites now to see what’s up.
zenzelli78, those actually seem like good ideas. I certainly can’t center my paper around things that have happened in the past because discussing what’s already happened doesn’t further anything. But if I use those ideas to leapfrog into a new area it might just be a possibility.
teqjack, That’s actually a really interesting fact about DVDs. I didn’t know about it. But at the same time I’m not sure if there’s anything illegal, or legally questionable, about it. Even if there was, I’d probably have to expand the idea a bit because it seems too narrow for the paper.
belladonna What’s the prize?
Oh, top prize is nothing much. You know, publication of my paper by the ABA and Recording Academy. The usual stuff. I mean, who wouldn’t want to do that? Oh yeah, I almost forgot. 5 grand plus hotel and travel with an accompanying Gold level ticket to the next Grammy Awards.
I’ve always wanted to explore “The Public’s Right to the Public Domain.” Seems to me that the seemingly endless extensions (timewise) of itellectual property rights are getting out of hand. In the long run, IMHO, the public is being screwed.
If say, after Disney has had its exclusive right to earn its billions, I want to print a greeting card with Mickey Mouse on the cover I should be able to do so. The government should say, sorry WD, you’ve had your crack at the marketplace; enough is enough.
But all the millionaire songwriters, authors, cartoonists and filmmakers have the bucks and access to keep getting their IP rights extended. There’s no one to take “the public’s” side in the debate.