Publicity vs. Profit

Music copyright laws have always affected musicians. But now, with the internet growing at an amazing rate, copyright infringement has become a legitimate issue. It has become relatively easy to share files, download music, and burn or rip CDs and mp3s. Nowadays, copyright laws can make or break any musician who is looking to make a living off of their music.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Kat Quinn. A local indie/pop singer/songwriter with a country slant to her music, Kat is from Marblehead, MA and now lives in New York City to pursue her songwriting career. Kat doesn’t earn all her money through her music; working a part-time job as well. However, she makes most of her money through live shows. She uses the Internet to promote her music extensively, mainly through her website http://www.katquinnmusic.com/. She also uses YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter to gain new followers and let her fans know about shows and what’s up and coming. Kat is aware that copyright infringement hurts the music business, but is really looking to secure a fan base. She says, “I think most of my fans do pay for my music.  But I also give a lot away.  At this point, I would rather have someone listening to my music, than have them not listening to it.” Kat realizes that while making a name for yourself, some sacrifices regarding copyright may be necessary. She would rather people listened to her music online and then came out and paid for a show as opposed to not at all. Still, she says “I draw the line at pirating sites that make money off of stealing music.  I don't mind if someone doesn't pay for my music, but other people shouldn't be profiting from illegal downloads.” Kat has a fantastic voice, and coupled with her warm personality and heartfelt lyrics will without a doubt succeed in her musical career.   

 http://katquinn.bandcamp.com/



While many artists share Kat’s view, others have very strong opinions on the copyright issue. After having gone through the copywriting process, it’s understandable that it would be upsetting to see all your efforts go down the drain as people download your music illegally. A great example of this can be found in Prince Rodgers Nelson (stage name: Prince), a flamboyant American singer-songwriter who is known for his vocal range and unique stage presence and costumes. In 2007, Prince attempted to file lawsuits against YouTube, eBay, and The Pirate Bay (a Swedish illegal file sharing site) for allegedly encouraging copyright violations. Prince hired Web Sheriff, a British-based company that specializes in hunting down pirated content on the web to launch a legal campaign against companies that attempt to wrongfully profit at the expense of artists. “It’s time we reclaimed the Internet,” he told one reporter.



http://www.flickr.com/photos/23748404@N00/8569888123



Other artists disagree with the idea of copyright infringement, but don’t think that the punishment for it should be taken to an extreme. In 2009, the British government raised a proposal to disconnect persistent file sharers from the Internet as a punishment for copyright infringement, a move welcomed by record companies and UK Music. However, Paul McCartney and Elton John are two prominent British musicians who were quick to speak out against this proposal, arguing that it is ridiculous to even consider cutting off so many people, saying that, “Civilized countries don’t engage in collective punishment.” In addition, The Featured Artist’s Coalition (FAC), The British Academy of Songwriters, Composers, and Authors (BASCA), and the Music Producer’s Guild (MPD) are just some of the influential music organizations in Britain that joined forces to oppose the proposal.

           

http://www.flickr.com/photos/33439023@N00/71293300

            
The issue of copyright infringement is certainly a heated one. It’s often a battle of where to draw the line between publicity and profit. The government has taken steps to help musicians in recent years, and now it’s our turn to spread the word, and learn about how copyright laws affect us.

SOURCES:

http://www.katquinnmusic.com/

http://www.reverbnation.com/katquinn

http://boingboing.net/2009/09/04/british-musicians---.html

http://news.cnet.com/8301-10784_3-9778087-7.html