COPYRIGHT ALERT - COPYRIGHT ALERT - COPYRIGHT ALERT - COPYRIGHT ALERT According to international copyright law you are in violation with each and every MUSIC file ( MIDI, WAV, RA ... etc.) provided for listening and/or download on your site, which contains copyright protected music. The legal fine for each single violation can be up to $50,000 PLUS damages to the copyright owners. Your country too is a member of the international copyright convention, so you are legally liable for damages to the copyright owners ! ------------------------------------------------------------------ This is not from the "copyright police", but could have been ! ------------------------------------------------------------------ You must remove all such files (immediately) or obtain a distribution/recording/broadcasting/performance license to offer music-files of copyright protected music. Removing when caught, will be too late !!!! See http://www.midiweb.com for already issued legal warnings (thread of lawsuit under international copyright conventions) See the Ultimate MIDI page, where all MIDI files are now removed too after a visit by the "copyright police" ( so stated) ----------------------------------------------------------- but this warning applies to all formats of music files !! ----------------------------------------------------------- Music ( and the lyrics going with it) is the property of its creators and must be licensed to be used ! DO NOT RISK an international copyright lawsuit, it could ruin you for life! With 65 Million Webusers you are facing a huge compensation claim for damages, even if based on only 10% (6.5 Million). 6.5 Million times 6 Cents (Canada) -the current license fee per copy- amounts to nearly $390,000 per song and you offer it for free without the legally required permission (licensing). even if narrowed to 1% you would still be liable for compensation of $39,000 to the copyright owners per song plus the fine and the lawful punishment for "stealing". (copyright infringement/property violation) Webpages with music boasting thousands of hits should multiply this by the above mentioned 6 cents and the number of songs offered to calculate what they may owe already - if licensed properly !! If you are without a license the set fees do not apply late fees can be more than double the normal fee plus legal costs, or even a lawsuit for infringement with damages, if the outstanding fees exceed more than $1000! -------------------------------------------------------------------- If you provide music for "listening only" remember anything broadcasted can be recorded and is in many cases, that is how those huge "collections" are built. Broadcasting requires a performance license too ! -------------------------------------------------------------------- As a service provider you can be held liable for all files available from your server independent from the account holder. Since a service provider has control of and access to all files on the server the "I did not know" approach will not work. You are participating in the trafficing of stolen goods, if you allow or provide for unlicensed (illegal) music files to be stored on and be distributed from your server! If the Service provider blames the account holders and vice versa ..... ..... and the lawyers have a feast! --------------------------------------------------------------------- You better inform yourself, before you continue to advertise/broadcast/provide "free" music to the world wide Web community. -------------------------------------------------------------------- No hard feelings - this is "free" well meant advice, since on your page a unlicensed use of copyright protected music was found. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- If in doubt ask a lawyer (experienced in copyright) for legal advice. (and that won't be free either ) Many underpayed artists and their publishers have to make a living from those pennies. Please - respect the copyright - get a license- it may be cheaper than you think and for sure less than any fine ! ©1997 W.W. Scherer ----------------------------------------------------------- http://www.reach.net/~scherer/p/index.htm