First off I apologise for possibly stepping on anyone's toes by addressing this post, especially you Per as I know how much this all means to you personally.
Hi Obscurite and thank you for your posting,
Sadly there are organizations out there that are "rattling their sabers" in the direction of all music sharing websites, not just those that are allowing for "pirating" of recorded music. As an example you might look up www.olga.net on the Web. They had been around for a real long time and hosted tons of Tabs and music on their servers until they were served papers.... If you had purchased some popular guitar learning software a couple of years ago, specifically the e-Media Guitar Method sold on TV and via online outlets like Musician's Friend. You would have found that all of the music included in their lesson plans were pulled right off of Olga's servers.
Chordie is one of the largest music sites on the planet and naturally the "crosshairs" are pointed in our direction also. Even though Chordie does not host any music files directly on their site, which may be our saving grace, the continued existence of Chordie is also threatened. Believe me I too regret that the publishers of music scores are so tight about allowing others to learn, play and enjoy the music of the artists and groups, but they feel they are protecting a revenue stream.
One could argue that although most tabs available online are the result of someone sitting down and figuring out how to play a particular tune, usually by purchasing the CD and listening to it over and over.... resulting in bringing that music to someone who otherwise would not have heard the band or their music. In some fashion promoting the artists and their recordings, ultimately introducing their product (ie: music) to a wider audience. That intangible beneficial result of sites like Chordie are overlooked in the muck of "legalese" being tossed around in courtrooms around the world.
I am sure that the administrators of Chordie are doing everything possible to keep providing the absolute best service in support of the huge membership community... but sometimes you have to pick your battles. I am sorry that you are disappointed that some music has had to be removed. As for me I'm fully in support of Per and his vision, and hanging in here however it all goes down.
On a personal note to Per: If you should find yourself in need of legal services, if you would put the word out.... I'm sure you would find yourself in receipt of more support than you could imagine. If every Chordie member tossed a $5.00 bill in a hat we could build a reasonable defense reserve fund! Just a thought.... where do I send my contribution?
Take Care and Good Luck All;
Doug
"what is this quintessence of dust?" - Shakespeare