Karaoke Forums

I'm starting to wonder if this war against piracy is for all practical purposes lost? I haven't seen Jim post on here for some time, is it no longer worth his time to even rattle the cages anymore? Seems like most hosts have accepted the fact the piracy is entrenched and that it will not be dislodged. In a way this HELP license of PEP's is sort of a white flag, isn't it?

The PEP deal never was more than a way to avoid them being sued by the big dogs.
You sign that you admit if caught, you hold them "Not Liable".
What kind of "Bottom Feeder" scam is that?
I'm still disc based, and sleep well at night..
Now if SC or some of the others pressed too many product, it's really not my concern.
And since there is really no controls on production, who's to know anyway.

Then there is no morale high ground.

there was no war on piracy, SC admitted as much.
there was a certification method to make customers (with money) pay for the theft by pirates (with no money).
HELP is a way to keep (as JD mentioned) the publishers appeased.
none of this was ever our fight, nor our job, nor our legal right to interfere.
perhaps HELP is actually a step up...the pirates are now paying for their theft.
or has it created more pirates?

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Paradigm Karaoke, The New Standard.......Shift Happens

Probably, created more pirates. But for how much longer is this going to continue?? When is enough going to be enough, and they finally give up. It is getting harder for them to bring new lawsuits to fruition. Then, they may run out of GEM sets to sell. After that, ALL they will have is HELP. I, STILL, would rather not use the product, than pay ridiculous amounts of money for stuff that is, finally, being released by other companies.

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I am the ONLY SANE 1 HERE

Was there ever a war against karaoke piracy in the first place?

Soundchoice was never in the business of shutting down pirates, only profiting from them.

Craigslist/Ebay do not report piracy. At best, you can just get a pirated harddrive unlisted.

The police do not have the resources to be running around prosecuting piracy. It'd be like the war on drugs, everybody'd be in jail!

So when exactly was this war on piracy you speak of? It can't be lost when it hasn't even started yet.

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C Mc
KJ, FL

If there was no war then why all the saber rattling? Why was the impression given that something was going to be done in the first place. Was it just a scare tactic used by PEP to try and shake money out of a few gullible hosts and venues? Why was all the space wasted on something that was never happening, the whole business was rather meaningless in retrospect? It really didn't effect most hosts or the business's. Hosts like myself could go through their whole professional career and not have any legal problems at all. In fact 98% did.

Now you get it

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C Mc
KJ, FL

Bingo

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To be fortunate enough to derive an income from a source as fulfilling as karaoke music has got to be as close to heaven as we can get here on earth!

Sound Choice CDG's have always sold at a premium. Was it because of quality, rare songs or because of all the lawsuits? If the lawsuits stop does that affect the price of the discs going forward or will they keep their value?

It is Official ... I don't care anymore - Phil Collins

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You can never argue with a crazy mi-mi-mi-mi-mi-mind ----B. Joel
I have great faith in fools; My friends call it self-confidence ---- E.A. Poe
I became insane, with long intervals of horrible sanity ----E.A. Poe
I don't know, I don't care, and it doesn't make any difference! ----A. Einstein
Double bubble, toil and trouble ----W. Shakespeare & Walt Disney
I hate it when I get on FaceBook ----Me
Karaoke might be Groundhog Day ----?
Of All the Martial Arts, Karaoke Inflicts the Most Pain ----?

The only value something has is the value that market places on it. No doubt the threat of lawsuits did drive the price of discs up. Originally the discs had value as tools of the trade, then the computer came along, making the hosts job easier since he didn't have to carry around his valuable collection of tracks that could be stolen. At first nobody made a big deal about converting discs to digital, until piracy became the norm. Then two manus tried to crackdown on downloading discs on a computer. CB had a hard time, however, since they had allowed Super CDG's to be made of their tracks, and they produced HD's of their own. Really I feel that any value the disc's still have is to prove that the original material was purchased in the first place. Also it would help if any paper work of the purchases was kept.

Justia and Pacer show the suits are ongoing in CO. Last entries were 10-02-17.

As far as 'is the the war lost?'
Yes and No. And that will continue for sure.

Some people will fight and lose, some will fight and win a dismissal.

Some will enter into agreement.

Some will drop CB/SC altogether.

Some will change and play newly purchased CB/SC from letters received by their venues.

Some venues will drop Karaoke altogether because of it and have here so they will over there, too.

Some venues will go to Jukes because of it and have here and will over there, too.

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

Fear rules.

It is Official. I don't care anymore - Phil Collins

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You can never argue with a crazy mi-mi-mi-mi-mi-mind ----B. Joel
I have great faith in fools; My friends call it self-confidence ---- E.A. Poe
I became insane, with long intervals of horrible sanity ----E.A. Poe
I don't know, I don't care, and it doesn't make any difference! ----A. Einstein
Double bubble, toil and trouble ----W. Shakespeare & Walt Disney
I hate it when I get on FaceBook ----Me
Karaoke might be Groundhog Day ----?
Of All the Martial Arts, Karaoke Inflicts the Most Pain ----?

Some people will get in make theirs and get out aka retire, and live happily ever after, like the fairy tales go.

Sometimes you feel like a nut....

Sometimes you don't.

Yes, the war on piracy is a lost cause, as that ship sailed years ago.

As soon as things are digitized, they are shared ad infinitum.

Welcome to the realities of the digital age! ymmv

And I'm still sitting here like a dumb butt as the ONLY non SC KJ in my area and guess what....there appear to be no certified SC guys around me so...ALL THE PIRATES ARE WORKING using SC and I am not. I have the CB registration, own a huge pile of disks, am legal but, the pirates keep working despite the perceived risk.
I'd say it's lost but I'm sure SC will keep suing because they can.

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Purple Frog Karaoke Cuz we all feel odd and love to "croak"

In my area, I am the lone, non-SC guy, and I, too, and CB registered. And the pirates keep on running their shows. It really doesn't effect me, much. I still have busy shows, with great followings.

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I am the ONLY SANE 1 HERE

Don't let Jim know hosts can run a show without SC, he will have a stroke. Although Jim does feel that a host could run a show with only SC?