The Scourge of the NMPA continues

[Maedhros]

So I was trying to look up some tabs on Metaltabs.com today, but they were all gone. It seems the website has finally been tracked down by the National Music Publishers Association, and has received an immediate cease and desist order, by threat of lawsuit. These bastards have been closing down tablature sites all over the internet, including MySongbook.com, which was the absolute best Guitar Pro website. It doesn't even make sense...99% of the stuff on Metaltabs would never, ever be published by anyone at any time. So who's rights are being infringed by people trying to teach other people how to play songs? These online tabs have helped not only myself, but countless others learn how to play guitar, and now some greedy publishing companies want to put a stop to it, supposedly doing the songwriters and musicians a favor. What are everyone's thoughts on this issue? Also, does Mr.V feel his rights as a musician are being infringed by kids trying to learn his songs to better their own musical skill?

 

[Tumn]

I'd let the dumb assholes try and sue me if I ran a site like that and get multiple metal artists to probably back me and not the NMPA.

 

[Naglfar]

Written music is still copyrighted material. I agree that the result of aggressively pursuing websites with tablature is that it harms fans who not only purchase music, but also musical equipment and other goodies, but the basic issue is that copyrighted music cannot be distributed freely online.

I'm not saying they're right, but legally it seems to me they're on solid ground. One day hopefully we won't even need recording companies, they seem to be the ultimate middleman.

 

[Pessimism]

NMPA nad the RIAA can suck my ass.
I'm not going to bother creating a cogent argument, I'm going to leave it at that.

 

[The Minds Eye]

Ugh Vomit, I'm so glad New Zealand doesn't have any of that RIAA bullshit at the moment, if it wasn't for downloading music I wouldn't have ever gotten into music at all and brought countless albums. I usually download one or two tracks from an artist before I purchase their album , if this didn't happen I wouldn't of spent alot of money on importing Vintersorg and related albums.

 

[Alec Walter Conway]

NMPA nad the RIAA can suck my ass.
I'm not going to bother creating a cogent argument, I'm going to leave it at that.

+1

 

[karpsmom]

This is bullshit. The Solefald tabs I had on metaltabs.com are on Solefald's official myspace too! They SUPPORTED my tabs, just like countless other bands do too!

 

[Demonicbass]

Yeah, just a load of crap Ultimate-guitar.com is still there. I recommend you guys to atleast check it out. It has normal tabs, powertabs, and guitar pro tabs.
Like Karpsmom said, i think most bands support tabs. I mean, i would be honoured if people liked my music so much that they wanted to learn my songs.
Why should some stupid asswipes decide for the bands?

 

[Thidrek]

The problem is that the artists don't have the rights for their own music. In every country there's an organisation that "administrate" copyrights. These organisations and the record companies own mainly everything of the artists: the bandlogo, the lyrics, the music itself and, of course, the notes. So it's not up to the bands but up to the record company and the NMPA (or whatever it's called in the particular country) to allow websites to publish tabs, lyrics or whatsoever. But they just won't cause they're all greedy!

 

[Alec Walter Conway]

Why can't it just be an organization that stands there to protect the band's work when they ask for it instead of waging meaningless wars in which the bands ultimately support the other side.

This is how it should work : the bands keep power over their stuff, when they see it used in ways or places they don't like, they go see the organization and let them deal with the problem.

The current system is stupid.

 

[Thidrek]

it's just no wellfare organisation. where governmental or semi-governmental organisations find money, they cash it. :/

 

[Alteredmindeath]

this sucks bad, but I have no use for tabs since I play by ear.

 

[Pessimism]

^There are a lot of songs that have such muddled production that you can't hear everything anyway. And although it may be true you can replicate a note anywhere on the fretboard, the original positioning (most of the time) makes it easier for technique's sake.

Many people do not know just how much they miss when they play by ear.

 

[KRaEzTaIuRmED]

Indie labels ftw!