RIAA forces Youtube to remove guitar lessons.

[Growler]

Is it so wrong to learn how to play the guitar? According to NPR, a record company ordered YouTube to remove videos of a man who offered to show people how to play the guitar for free. One of the songs that he taught was copyrighted, and as a result over 100 of his videos were removed from the internet. 'Since he put his Web site up last year, he has developed a long waiting list for the lessons he teaches in person. And both he and Taub say that's still the best way to learn. If someone tells Sandercoe to take down his song lessons, he says he will. But his most valuable videos are the ones that teach guitar basics -- things like strumming, scales and finger-picking. And even in the digital age, no one holds a copyright on those things.' How could this constitute as infringement if most musicians usually experiement to find something that sounds familiar?

Article at NPR.

[Poop-Loops]

I'm waiting for the RIAA to ban musical instruments all together so we can't play any of "their" songs.

[MysticMichael]

Originally Posted by Growler

One of the songs that he taught was copyrighted, and as a result over 100 of his videos were removed from the internet.

You can play anything you want and post it online - so long as it doesn't infringe on a copyright. All the guy has to do is post video of his musical performance of material that's either his original stuff, material which he has permission to perform, or material which is in the public domain.

Problem solved...

MM

[AdlerAugen]

w00000 they delete them over one song? Lame. Youtube deletes those, yet the thousands of copyrighted anime episodes are still there? seems a little hypocritical of youtube to delete something so harmless as a music lesson, meanwhile people who actually have the DVD available with the warnings and everything still post blatantly against copyright. Not that I want any of them removed since I do enjoy watching anime on youtube, but if they're gonna do this to any of it, they should get their butts in gear and do all of it.

[Basshole]

The RIAA is the biggest bunch of jackasses since Jack Valenti and the MPAA. You can add the PMRC and FCC, and a bunch of others to this idiots list...man, no shortage of a-holes, is there?

[afinalfantasy]

RIAA is full of crap, so is the FCC

If they want to look at my computer I'll charge them with invasion of privacy

[Eddie95Z28]

It isn't youtube. I am sure Youtube didn't hunt this guy down. The RIAA brought him into focus and that's why youtube did it. I am sure if someone fought for the Anime episodes as hard as the RIAA fights against music copyright violations youtube would remove them as well. The RIAA is causing the problem not youtube.

Originally Posted by AdlerAugen

w00000 they delete them over one song? Lame. Youtube deletes those, yet the thousands of copyrighted anime episodes are still there? seems a little hypocritical of youtube to delete something so harmless as a music lesson, meanwhile people who actually have the DVD available with the warnings and everything still post blatantly against copyright. Not that I want any of them removed since I do enjoy watching anime on youtube, but if they're gonna do this to any of it, they should get their butts in gear and do all of it.

[peaveyuser]

Corporatism at it's best, all they want is more money it's like they enjoy pissing people off. Stupid RIAA sooner or later you'll be getting for playing songs at a amateur concert you learned by ear.

[hbarcat]

Originally Posted by peaveyuser

Corporatism at it's best, all they want is more money it's like they enjoy pissing people off. Stupid RIAA sooner or later you'll be getting for playing songs at a amateur concert you learned by ear.

This isn't corporatism so much as government sponsored protectionism.

[FrizzleFry]

I still can't believe what this world is coming to...

[Baryonyx]

man, they really need to chill out!

[peaveyuser]

Originally Posted by hbarcat

This isn't corporatism so much as government sponsored protectionism.

Doi damn i'm clueless.

[KeithBMI]

I own the rights to C sharp.

[ironflippy]

Originally Posted by KeithBMI

I own the rights to C sharp.

I have the rights to Db. I think you need to pay some royalties to me.

[Depth_Charge]

I have patented and sent the Australian Note System in for recognition.

It's the same notes we currently use, but by patenting my own note system and language I hope to avoid all these problems when releasing my own educational bass videos in the near future

[dconrad]

For the guy who uses the vids as a way to advertise his for-pay site and lessons, there is a possible copyright issue. The guy is making money off of someone else's copyrighted work. It's sort of the same as if I write a symphony and then someone else sells "Written instructions to perform that one symphony" aka sheet music. (Tabs are kind of the in between case, since they have notes but no rhythm, and both are essential to identifying a work.)

For the other guy, who appears to be doing it as a public service, he's more in the right, but he is performing/using copyrighted works.

As for the vid directors, they can certainly make a good fair use case since guitar lessons are kind of exactly the kind of educational purpose fair use was meant to address. If the lessons are "How to play song X" they are a little more shaky than "How to play technique X, demonstrated by copyrighted song Y".

Thus, neither of these guys are neccesarily in the wrong legally. The RIAA can (and did) send a takedown notice to Youtube (Who is not at fault here). The video makers can likely respond to the takedown and tell Youtube that their vids are non-infringing. Youtube wants to fit under the DMCA safe harbor provisions on takedown notices as if they were an ISP, so would likely comply and replace the vids, and probably Youtube would be out of the picture legally, leaving the RIAA to sue the video authors directly. (Though other legal maneuvering between Youtube and their sworn enemy the RIAA will ensue!)

In any case, the RIAA doesn't really have any power to force the vids to be removed UNTIL it wins a lawsuit -- so at this point it's a three way battle between the RIAA warchest, Youtube's legal stance (Probably on the side of good, since Google is involved), and the Video authors' willingness to claim a fair use defense. It appears that so far there hasn't been a government action of any sort. Just remember that Youtube is not a government or non-profit organization; much of its content is infringing, and they wouldnt have a legal leg to stand on if they ignored copyright owners' demands to remove infringing clips. Nor is this a new development -- this kind of thing has been pretty set in copyright law since the 1900s.

People here should especially be aware of the issues involved: if you play covers, you should know how royalties are paid to the songwriter. If you play originals, you should know what rights you have and when people can copy your work. It IS government protectionism, but it's not corporate welfare -- copyright law protects artists, who negotiate deals with record companies and ASCAP and Harry Fox, etc.