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The author of SOPA is a copyright violator

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Re: The author of SOPA is a copyright violator

#41
post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Everyone who has sung "Happy Birthday" is also a pirate. Yes, really. http://www.snopes.com/music/songs/birthday.asp http://www.unhappybirthday.com/ Sure, there's some evidence that they may have done some iffy things with the registration, but you'd have to go through an expensive trial to prove that, so good luck.

No, not really... according to the snopes link: """Does this mean that everyone who warbles "Happy Birthday to You" to family members at birthday parties is engaging in copyright infringement if they fail to obtain permission from or pay royalties to the song's publisher? No."""

I was trying to avoid having to nitpick every bit of it, which is why I gave references. How many people have only sung "Happy Birthday" at home, but never in a restaurant or any other public place?

Here's the rest of your quote, starting right after that "no" -

"Royalties are due, of course, for commercial uses of the song, such as playing or singing it for profit, using it in movies, television programs, and stage shows, or incorporating it into musical products such as watches and greeting cards; as well, royalties are due for public performance, defined by copyright law as performances which occur "at a place open to the public, or at any place where a substantial number of persons outside of a normal circle of a family and its social acquaintances is gathered." So, crooning "Happy Birthday to You" to family members and friends at home is fine, but performing a copyrighted work in a public setting such as a restaurant or a sports arena technically requires a license from ASCAP or the Harry Fox Agency (although such infringements are rarely prosecuted)."

Re: The author of SOPA is a copyright violator

#42
post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Considering that the owner is a US Congressman with extensive knowledge of copyright law (or so I assume) - he should have been paying attention to what happens on his freaking website, which is nothing more than his business card to the whole world. Failing to do so, talking about scale doesn't make much sense, since if a US Congressman, that happens to be the author of SOPA, can't handle it - what chances are there…

Actually, this stuff is absolutely impossible to police completely. Major content producers (networks, studios, etc.) know this in their bones, and carry what's known as E&O - Errors & Omissions insurance - for this exact reason. Given the complexity of copyright law, the vagaries of content "creation", and the pressure of constant deadlines, these really are errors and omissions. And given the nature of a business t…

>Actually, this stuff is absolutely impossible to police completely.

Then it can't be a law.

Re: The author of SOPA is a copyright violator

#43
post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Everyone who has sung "Happy Birthday" is also a pirate. Yes, really. http://www.snopes.com/music/songs/birthday.asp http://www.unhappybirthday.com/ Sure, there's some evidence that they may have done some iffy things with the registration, but you'd have to go through an expensive trial to prove that, so good luck.

I wonder if that is the reason most big restaurant chains, like TGI Fridays, have their own version of a song for their crew to sing when someone has a birthday there.

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