Karaoke Forums

What is your view on the use of illegal copied cd+g's by KJ's? Do you know KJ's who use them

Please take the time to visit this KAPA Q&A site to get legal facts about making copies of your cd+g's.

www.karaokeantipiracyagency.com/faq.html

I think there's a difference between kj's who do a 1:1 burn as opposed to kj's who buy (or "borrow") 1 set of discs & burn them for multiple systems. I do know some A holes that are doing this.

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Any reputable KJ/DJ/VJ would never use anything illegal. The fines for getting caught are astronomical (I've heard of a few getting fined, but never anyone I've known).

Will

:wink: I know a KJ that only plays them if people bring them in-it makes it more convenient for all their songs to be on 1 CD+G (although burned) rather than shuffle thru a bunch...who's gonna go to a bar & fine them for that convenience? it's ridiculous how anal folks are about it...

I'll take "anal" over a chance at a big fine anyday. That's my way, but you do it any way you want.

Will

WAY to many multi riggers with illegal discs taking jobs away from ME!! I will not play them. I love it when they come to my gigs and try to talk me into it. Can barely understand them over the ROAR of my sold out shows. MAYBE IF my shows were dead and I was desperate for singers I might ... nah . Then they tell me the original is at home blah blah blah. Go home and get it or bring it with you. Here in so. cal I've had some pretty reputable singers and KJ's do this to me. Turn them down everytime. I'm sure I've lost a handful of singers butt I really dont miss them.

Same things happening to me. Man this bites! However, a couple nights ago, it was slow and another ex-KJ asked me to play one of his burned discs. I know the guy and know he's not a "multi-rigger." Still, I left that decision to the bar owner who said it'd be fine. In that situation, if he did get caught, who would get burned? Me, the singer, or the bar owner?

Ya there is one here....... I don't think they own one single disc myself.
They buy them, copy them , THEN they sell them on Ebay!
Lawds!

I will not under any pressure play a burned disc.. nope nope nope.
Being a song writer I hate the fact people copy things and basically steal from the artist.


Think of it this way.. You play ALL night long at a gig, and then the person who is suppose to pay you says, NOPE, sorry I don't feel like it and legally there isn't much you can do about it. (altho of course you could, this is just an example)
You have been cheated out of your PAY!
If you copy, you are stealing, plain and simple.

Now, how do I REALLY feel about this?

Bubba

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You can choose to be an Actor in your own life... or a Reactor in someone elses.

What about the "legitimate" custom discs? These are all very legal & some of the original ones had plain white labels & basic fonts, no special graphics, yet these are 100% legal burns. There are also a few sites that you can pay to download & burn your own disc, these discs are just as legal.

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LIKE Lonman on Facebook - Lonman Productions Karaoke & my main site via my profile!

If you paid for it, and make a back up copy or downloaded and paid for it, then it is legal. (there is dispute about backup but everyone I ever talked to as far as lawyers etc. say it is legal)

Or if you get a custom CDG done, no problem with those either because you PAID for it. Nearly all my new CDGs are custom I can't stand dupes in my book.

But it is those people that basically steal the songs that are doing wrong and they know who they are.

Like the person I mentioned before. They buy the CDG, Burn it, then resell it. To me that is not legal since it is not a back up copy. But that is treading on thin ice on the legal standpoint.

Oh and I should mention the people re heatseal the CDGS they sell and claim them as unopened.

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You can choose to be an Actor in your own life... or a Reactor in someone elses.

It can be awkward.. I've seen KJs copying disks while running the show.

Yes, he had a "Stand alone" machine and kept busy burning disks.

I don't sing there much anymore.

I have spent around $15,000 on my cdg collection.
I personally haven't backed up any of my disks,however I have made compilations of my favorite songs to take to others shows.
I also will play someones compilation disk as long as it's in decent shape
and not easly recognizable as a full copy of a particular disk.
but that's just me.

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Gotta' Sing , Gotta' Sing !!!

I just try and keep it ethical. Like I said MAYBE if I was desperate for singers....... But I love the look on thier face when you tell them SORRY I CANT play a burned disk. I used to tell them I had a chip in my player that wouldnt allow me to play burns. Got em every time..HA HA HA..

Nothing personal, but I guess I wouldn't be going to your shows then, Meta.

When I went out, I used to bring my entire library with me (over 500 CDGs), and I would allow others to sing from them too. I've been to too many shows, where the KJ boasted of such a large/great selection, and then I didn't see the songs (or the versions that I am used to singing from) within their lists. When I go out, I usually don't know/plan what I'm going to sing that night, and it's been easier for me to bring my entire collection with me, rather than to remove 20 or 30 different discs from my Case Logics and take them with me each night (and then have to sort through them and put them back in their proper place when I get home.... only to pull them out again the next day).

I had been doing this for years, and then last year I was accused of soliciting my shows at this one show (because people knew I had to be a KJ with that many discs). I recently got myself a Burner, and I just decided to burn a half dozen of my own personal discs (a compilation of about 80 songs I like to sing from in my library), and just bring those with me. This way, what I can't find in the KJ's book, at least I can still sing from mine (if I want to). Also, I don't draw the same attention to me (just bringing these 6 discs, as versus 600), so people that don't know me, don't automatically think I'm a KJ. The burns are obviously burns, because I have my own WHITE LABEL on it, with an index of what songs are on the disc. It's also obvious that these are not burns of one complete disc, but a compilation of mixed songs from different discs.

Thank You KJ's Especially Lonman for covering my back on this one!!!

The admin. apparently didn't like my shot at KAPA..
Which was a legitimate question for them.

Apparently they can't answer it either.

Ya Gotta love that one...

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Brian D.
(BHB)

Cueball,
nothing personal, but I wouldn't want you at my shows either if you are thinking that I'd play your burned "compilations". If you'd bring the original cdg, I'd be more than happy to pop it in.

Will

I'm feeling kind of chatty today so bear with me

I have my own theory on the subject of piracy in the music and movie industry. I think it may turn out to be a good thing. It is illegal and possibly immoral but the technology is out there and therefore, people will use it. I think it will probably turn out to be an evolutionary tool. The way I see it two things could happen. The studios learn to rethink how they do business and use it to their advanage or it will defeat them. Even if they come out of it in a weaker position this will open the door for a new generation of recording studios with fresh ideas and maybe they will be more willing to take a few risks and rescue the music industry.

Right now you have a few people... mostly dinosaurs... in the industry telling us who we are supposed to listen to. They control the media and, as a result control the American public. You may think that you are not influenced by this, but we all are even if you never watch T.V. and only listen to the radio. You are being led by them if only by the fact that they limit the choices you have by dominating the airwaves. I personally will not grieve if the powers that be fall. I would love to hear from real artists and not be forced to listen to the studio-created-cookie-cutter stars that I am being forced to listen to.

OK!! I'll get off my soap box for now. I've never been in on these online discussions before and I may get a little enthusiastic about my opinions.
I may be totally full of crap and I certainly welcome any contrary views. after all that's what this is all about.

I miss the good old artists like Elton John, Billy Joel, Tom Jones, Engelbert... These guy's were singing for real not like what we hear today which is all fake and nothing but selling an image not the talent!!

My family & friends sometimes are asking me if I wish to do this for a living & I always say NO WAY will someone from the industry tell me what to say or do. First thing you need in this business is the look & after they will sell your image and of course control you!

Now on the legal side, I don't agree with people who make copies for others but a back up of your investment is just a normal thing to do.

Thanks for chiming in Micky. I guess the real downside to the whole issue is that record companies need to absorb the profit loss somehow and it usually gets passed on to the consumer. Unfortunatly they will survive and we will pay for it.

It's like in the 70's when VHS and Beta (for the youngsters: Beta didn't last long) recorders first came out and the movie industry was in a tizzy. This is the same issue. You have no problem recording your favorite movie now , but then it was a big deal until the industry adjusted to the change. The same will happen here.

We also make copies of our originals to take out to shows I like to know what I'm singing and what version of the song will pop up. I probably wouldn't go to a show where the KJ refused to use my burned CD. I think I would be very offended if a total stranger accused me of breaking the law. You can't just assume that a CD is pirated just because it's burned. It should be legal for me to burn copies of my own CD for my own personal use. I don't know if it is. There is a lot of gray area concerning what's legal and what isn't. It's not for me to decide. Evolution will win out and We'll see what we end up with. Maybe better... Maybe worse.