Green Linnet lawsuit?

[Jim McGuire]

There are two sides to every story. Green Linnet allegedly owes royalties, dollars, etc. All we can do is let it 'play out'!

[djm]

Exactly.

djm

[Caj]

From the site provided by Wanderer:

Why is it important to know if an album was released by an RIAA member or not?

That's possibly a fairly long answer, but just the highlights of the RIAA's practices involve price-fixing, blaming its poor financial state on unfounded digital piracy claims (and in turn, blaming and suing its own consumers), ...

Hee hee. I got a threatening letter, in fact, from the RIAA. So did my employer at the time, and the employers of all my coauthors. And the program chair of the conference we submitted to, and his employer. Poor guy almost lost his job because of that.

What amazes me is that they weren't objecting to us breaking their security system so much as describing how their system worked. Sometimes security measures are so flimsy that they are compromised merely by telling people about them---like leaving a key under a doormat. And there aren't many DRM systems that are better, security-wise, than leaving a key under a doormat.

Caj

[brianc]

I"m not quite clear on what RIAA is or does...

... would I be too far off the mark if I described them as being in the "protection business" ?? (wink wink, nudge nudge)

[Jim McGuire]

The Beatles (Paul, Ringo, the families of John and George) are suing EMI for back royalties - some $53MM.

This is starting to catch some momentum.

[anniemcu]

Maybe, maybe not. I am more interested in older recordings, than newer "celtic" groups anyway, and for that stuff I wouldn't cut myself off if Green Linnet had stuff I wanted, e.g. Seamus Ennis' 40 Years of Piping.

djm

That is a bit like buying stolen goods though, you understand. I don't mean to accuse you, of course, but to point out that if the company is indeed cheating it's artists, and there is very good reason to believe that, it is counter productive to support such people.

[Jim McGuire]

and there is very good reason to believe that...

There is no reason to believe that at this time. That's why they created courts - to air both sides and have a judge or jury decide. Who knows what the contract(s) spelled out that was signed between both parties.

Artists have been unhappy with promoters and producers since time immemorial.

[scooter587]

The Green Linnet dispute isn't just over contract technicalities. Some artists say they never received *any* royalties for their work on GL's label. And GL refused to let the artists see the sales records for their own cds.

I find it hard to believe GL would act this way, but I find it even harder to believe that the musicians involved would launch an unfounded case. I know which side I'd rather err in favor of at this point.

[Jim McGuire]

The one with the publicity engine?

[scooter587]

I've seen little publicity, but I've talked face to face with several of the musicians involved. I know them as people, not just faces on a stage or names in a newspaper article. They gave Wendy at GL the benefit of the doubt for many years before finally taking the issue to court. I wonder how many people would be so patient if it was their paycheck being withheld?

[Jim McGuire]

I'd love to hear the other side of the dispute before deciding.

[Wanderer]

their side was essentially "no comment"

[anniemcu]

Artists have been unhappy with promoters and producers since time immemorial.

And often with very good reason. We aren't talking about a bunch of spoiled little rich folk here... we're talking real working musicians who deserve fulfillment of their agreements.

[Jim McGuire]

They deserve to be heard in court or in arbitration.

[scooter587]

It's a shame the musicians had to take GL to court just to see the sales records for their own cds.