Karaoke Forums

...I don't know but I think (?) he had somewhere around $600,000 in total sells of Illegally Karaoke Loaded HD's.

MadMusicOne,

The point is that media-shifting was not an issue with Sound Choice from 1993 until 2010, then all of a sudden it's a flippin' 911. Chartbusted didn't care either until SC started collecting $ for "catching" people doing it. Currently, they remain the only karaoke manufacturers (oops, that should be past tense somehow) that have a problem with you converting their plastic coaster to a digital file. I would assume the companies that allow digital downloads don't mind since they give it to you in that format.

Bottom line, SC & CB got caught with their industry-leading pants around their ankles and missed the digital revolution. Now they're still trying to drag the industry back into the plastic dark ages, with this media-shifting permission crap. May look at the companies that are allowing, even embracing digital media, and are still actively producing products. Take a note from that, maybe? Doesn't seem to be putting any of them out of business...

Media-shifting was most certainly an issue for SC prior to 2010.

1. The first lawsuit was filed in 2009.
2. For several years prior to that, SC undertook education efforts about media-shifting, the proper way to do it, and the consequences for not getting permission.
3. Even before that, SC was on-record as opposing media-shifting except under very limited circumstances.
4. SC's discs have included inserts for a long time that informed purchasers of their obligation not to engage in unauthorized copying.

Sure do you not remember
SPIN - Stop Piracy Internationally Now around 99-2000 or so founded by SC
KAPA - Karaoke Anti-Piracy Agency around 2004 or 05 founded by SC
I believe there was one more as well that I am not remembering.
KIAA - Karaoke Industry Alliance of America around 2008 founded by SC among other manus.
Even though they were primarily going after pirates, they still never said it was ok to 'media shift' to computer.

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Those entities were going after people who were copying discs -- NOT media shifting. They also said it was never okay to make a tuna sandwich, but what they didn't say is irrelevant. Only what they did say.

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Birdofsong

Media Cloq was first tried by SC in 2001. They got reemed for it. But they obviously weren't ignoring the issue.

That was the point. Computer use had JUST really started about that time. They DID try to 'nip' it before it got out of control, it just didn't work as the discs with MC on them wouldn't play in some cdg players that had certain computer chips in them.

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

MMO, what can they do? the GEM is not for lease to private parties, only businesses. no GEM lease, no reason to go after them. i think you are on the right path though, there are many more private singers with loaded drives than all the KJ's put together by a long shot.

Harrington, $500.00 for "technical infringers" because why? for following the industry standard?
"Then they need to do a better job of keeping up with the industry that they are operating in." Everyone but SC & CB did keep up and now SC & CB are the only ones crying about it.

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

That I am willing to put money on!

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

yup, but WE are the bad guys here.

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

I have to agree with the sentiment here. Not all KJs (or Singers for that matter) are aware of this Karaoke Forum (or some of the others out there either). And then there are those that do know of some of the Forums, but feel that they just don't have the time (or care) to participate in them.

These Forums appear to be the main source of information (and misinformation/disinformation (HL's word, not mine)) discussing Media Shifting and Piracy, and all the current Lawsuits taking place.




And how does one do that? It doesn't appear like the Manufacturers are saying anything other than, "Buy my product." Then there's all those download sites (such as SBI Karaoke, Tricerasoft, Karaoke-Version, Sing to the World), who are saying that their downloads are legal (and aren't saying much more beyond that).



Like I said, they're not saying anything beyond, "Buy my product."... unlike the Manufacturers of wireless microphones. They made sure that everyone purchasing a new Microphone was aware of the changes in the FCC regulations that issued a ban on the use of a certain frequency range (somewhere around 2009 or 2010). Now, the only people who probably are STILL unaware of this, are the people who are still using their old wireless microphones (not even knowing what bandwidth frequency they are using (possibly not even knowing what a bandwidth frequency is)), and have not shopped around for a new wireless microphone.

Then there's the FCC regulations a few years ago (around 2008), that required EVERYONE to either buy a new TV (one that could receive a Digital Signal), buy a Converter Box, or use their current Cable/Satellite/Direct TV connections to receive a broadcast signal. That was aired constantly on TV... especially through the various News Networks, and a public blitz of commercials were made to make the public aware of the deadline to be ready for this switch. This public blitz took place continuously around/between 2005 through 2008.

Now, I realize that Karaoke is a niche market, but what public blitz's has SC (or the other Manufacturers) done to make ALL of the public aware?





Regarding item 2, how have you gone about this mass undertaking of educating the public? Through the KIAA???? That's mentioned/listed as a hyperlink in SC's website. SC's website is a place where someone MIGHT go to buy new music. BUT, since SC has not been producing new music, AND, the CDGs they sell via their website cost more than if you were to purchase them in a B&M store or ONLINE through other vendors, the likelihood of people visiting the site probably has dwindled. Where else is the KIAA mentioned???... in all (or most) of the Karaoke Forums out there (see my other comment about people who don't visit these Forums).

Regarding item 4, I haven't bought a SC CDG in several years. The last disc I purchased was number 8993. As for the paper flyer that SC inserts in the Jewel Case, I don't remember if I saw one or not, but in all likelihood, I would have just tossed it (with the Jewel Case) after removing the disc and placing it in one of my binders. There are many products which I have purchased over the years which had some extra piece of paper thrown in. If it didn't have anything to do with how I assembled the product, or some instruction manual on how to use the product (ie: a new TV set), i tossed it. In the case of buying a disc (any type of disc), one does not expect to see instructions on how to use it... You just put it in the appropriate type of machine that is capable of playing it, and just hit PLAY. It ain't Rocket Science.

"Then there's all those download sites (such as SBI Karaoke, Tricerasoft, Karaoke-Version, Sing to the World), who are saying that their downloads are legal (and aren't saying much more beyond that)."

i agree Cue, then again, the only ones in the world saying that these sites are NOT legal is SC.

this is where my anger has been brewing, if anybody but SC says anything about what is legal or allowed in the karaoke world, they must be lying. i know you are not saying that, but i am sure you see the same sentiment on here and other forums.

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

Hitek what HL doesn't understand is that we live in a state where (i'm gonna guess) at least 40% of the people don't read or speak English, especially in your neck of the woods, (north mexico), and he is telling us that they need to keep up with the industry...what a laugh...I sure hope he has some great interpreters when he finally gets to TX and he had better hope that court documents are written in both languages or should I say multi-languages as in eastern TX there are a lot of Vietnamese....

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I like everyone when I first meet them. If you don't like me that's not my problem it's YOURS!
A stranger is a friend you haven't met yet

There's a lot of Vietnamese in East Texas

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My statements, opinions and conclusions are based on my own personal experiences, observations, research and/or just my own $.02. I'm not a "cheerleader", but that doesn't make me a Pirate.

Another aside as to true "pirates" . Most 1) bought a drive 2.) find torrents that send them "everything released this month free.
They do not go to karaoke sites to check for new releases , sales , industry news etc. They run it for extra income with little to no cost and have no stake or interest in the actual industry. In my area most of these guys have no idea what brand is what, which is the "best" version etc. They have 100,000 songs and 75 versions of something but to them they are all the same.
To expect them to know or care what's going on is pi##ing in the wind. They don't care until they are caught.

I don't care whether a pirate knows about industry news.

I don't put an unauthorized media-shifter who is otherwise 1:1 into that category. That person has a stake in the industry and should be more aware of what is going on.

Ok, and I agree, but in my case I did the Sc cert, I own 2 copies of all my stellar stuff so I am exempt from their CAP and unable to cert unless I want to hand them 6600.00 or so for two caps for stolen music I didn't steal and I had 10 CB disks untill last week when I purchased 2 sets of 800 at the fire sale and right now noone can cert them so where does that leave me?

Ed G,
at some point I am personally convinced that DT will offer audits for the products they now own(CB included)...and if Stellar doesn't find a way to certify legal media shifters then they will be really out of luck and we will see them sink...I would be sorry to see them go down. Since you own your Stellar products on disc the CAP is not intended for you.

Athena

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"Integrity is choosing your thoughts, words and actions based on your principles and values rather than for your personal gain."
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"if a man has integrity, nothing else matters, If a man has no integrity, nothing else matters."
Lee McGuffey

...Athena, I see no other way for any current Karaoke Manufacturer (that has produced cdg's in the past) to weed out the pirates than to have some type of audit system in place.