• Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 6

Topic: SAVE INTERNET TAB SITES FROM THE M.P.A.

If you havent already heard the MPA ( U.S. Music Publishers Association ) Is pending legal action aginst several Tab Sites. Which include "Power Tabs", "Guitar Tab Universe", and "mxtabs". And have shut down countless others. There saying its copyright infringement. Which if you ask me is non-sence.

    If i listen to a song on the radio pick the song out by ear and write it down thats my interpetation of the song. Its not even close to the original artists sheet music. If i share that chord progression i shouldnt have to worry about legal action nor should the site that i put it on.

    I believe the sheet music companies are also putting tremendous pressure on the MPA to do something because they feel if everyone goes to the internet to learn the songs they will lose money.


A BBC web article dated 12 December, 2005, quotes US Music Publishers Association president Lauren Keiser as saying that unlicensed guitar tabs and song scores were widely available on the Internet but were "completely illegal"...and further that the owners of these sites should "be jailed". Completly ridiculous if you ask me.

   

   I have written a letter to the MPA and to Barbra Boxer to try to put a stop to this and to find out if there case holds water. Tabs are simply a tool for learning music, something to do while you learn how to write your own music.


If your interested in stoping the MPA you can go and register for MuSATO (Music Student and Teacher Organization) at <a href="http&#58;&#47;&#47;www.guitarzone.com/musato/" target="_blank">http://www.guitarzone.com/musato/</a> and be added to a petition. They have also added a Myspace to help spread word of mouth it is at <a href="http&#58;&#47;&#47;www.myspace.com/musato_org" target="_blank">http://www.myspace.com/musato_org</a> 

Also heres another petition thats simple to do. <a href="http://www.petitiononline.com/mioti/petition.html" target="_blank">http://www.petitiononline.com/mioti/petition.html</a>

Please help fight the MPA's assault on internet tablature. because if they shut down all the tabs sits there will be no songs on chordie to choose from. Thank you


        Justin Shively-   Justinshively_<a href="mailto:56&#64;hotmail.com" target="_blank">56&#64;hotmail.com</a>

  • From: Starkville, Mississippi USA
  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 2,069

Re: SAVE INTERNET TAB SITES FROM THE M.P.A.

Thanks for the info on petitions.  I have signed both.  Internet tab & chord sites help spread the joy of music - - - the business of music benefits when more people participate in making music.  The MPA action will benefit only the attorneys filing the lawsuit.  see attached graphic

"That darn Pythagorean Comma thing keeps messing me up!"
[url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pythagorean_comma[/url]

James McCormick's Website