Why Are Tabs Becoming Banned?

[Digo]

Someone finds an easier way to read music for the less musically talented and suddenly the music business is very unhappy!

[vindy500]

because the music industry haaaaaaaates us! they dont waaaant new nooobies playing muuuuusic. they want us to use our eeeeeeeeeeeeeears... [crazy man voice off]

[SundanceChile]

Originally Posted by Digo

Someone finds an easier way to read music for the less musically talented and suddenly the music business is very unhappy!

Copyrights. Tab books are available, while you can get free tabs off the internet. Big Buisness steps in and whines "Hey! Why aren't we making as much money as we can? Ban free tabs so they buy our books!"

Summarized up for you.

[Ed Fuqua]

Tabs are NOT becoming banned. The question that's being raised in the courts is whther or not tab, which is not notation, is still a viable communication of melodic material (which is copyrightable). If the courts decide that yes, even though tab is not notation it DOES communicate copyrightable material, then LIKE ANY OTHER METHOD OF COMMUNICATION you have to obtain the rights to reproduce them in a publication/web presence.

You, personally can still tab stuff out (or notate it). You personally can buy a book of tab or notation. You personally can make a copy of that tab or notation to give to others in your band to learn a tune (scholarly usage). What you can't do is make a copy of a bunch of different songs and sell it OR post it on a website that makes money from advertisements on that site without obtaining the right to do so from whoever owns the copyright, generally whoever PUBLISHES the song.

That in NO WAY constitutes "banning". No more than the inability for you to make a bunch of copies of Stephen King's last book and selling them on the street constitutes "banning" reading or writing.

[nad]

This has been a fight since before even Napster. It's almost as stupid as tab itself.

[Digo]

im more a tab fan because i find it hard to read notation while playing, i can only study it and slowly learn it, unlike tabs i can go right into it

[Roland777]

One word. Greed.

[Dan1099]

Originally Posted by Roland777

One word. Greed.

Two words. Justified Greed.

As stated so eloquently above, which apparently everyone ignored. this would be like some website going up with scanned copies of Stephen Kings novels, and then selling advertising on the website, without giving a dime to Mr. King. Think that would fly? Doubt it.

[supergolum]

Anyway, most of the tabs we find out there are so inacurate that we barely recognise the songs

[Diggler]

Originally Posted by Dan1099

Two words. Justified Greed.

As stated so eloquently above, which apparently everyone ignored. this would be like some website going up with scanned copies of Stephen Kings novels, and then selling advertising on the website, without giving a dime to Mr. King. Think that would fly? Doubt it.

I disagree. There is much more to a song that the particular sequence of notes in the appropriate order. It doesn't tell you tempo, effects, etc. Unless you listen to the actual song you wouldn't have any idea how it goes.

I mostly learn by ear but occassionally cheat with tabs just to get an idea of complicated riffs or something like that.

[Dan1099]

Originally Posted by Diggler

I disagree. There is much more to a song that the particular sequence of notes in the appropriate order. It doesn't tell you tempo, effects, etc. Unless you listen to the actual song you wouldn't have any idea how it goes.

I mostly learn by ear but occassionally cheat with tabs just to get an idea of complicated riffs or something like that.

What does how accurately you convey the line have to do with it? Is a poorly photocopied version of The Dark Tower series any less a work of Stephen King?

[ghostintheruins]

It all comes down to money and corporate greed. Whenever someone in the industry thinks they are losing out on money because of something that is available for free, they have to attack it in the name of copywrite infringement.

[Dan1099]

Originally Posted by ghostintheruins

It all comes down to money and corporate greed. Whenever someone in the industry thinks they are losing out on money because of something that is available for free, they have to attack it in the name of copywrite infringement.

Any time Any company is missing a chance to make serious money, or someone else is making money off their work, they go after it. That's how capitalism works.

[supergolum]

Originally Posted by Dan1099

What does how accurately you convey the line have to do with it? Is a poorly photocopied version of The Dark Tower series any less a work of Stephen King?

In that case, we would be talking about someone writing his own version of the dark tower series. But then there would still be problems with copyrights

[SuperDuck]

I can't get what I want right away for free. That = corporate greed.



Those bastards.

[Mike Money]

Tabs absolutely do not violate any copyrights.

Melody requires rythm... You can't derive rythm from a tab.

[ghostintheruins]

No, they don't violate anyone's copyright. They are someone else's interpretation of what an artist has recorded. That is all they are. There is nothing against the law about it. But money is involved, so the corporate pigs have to complain about it.

So... what's the solution? Get the actual sheet music from the p2p file sharing networks.

Kick those greedy sods in the teeth.

[Roland777]

Originally Posted by Dan1099

Two words. Justified Greed.

As stated so eloquently above, which apparently everyone ignored. this would be like some website going up with scanned copies of Stephen Kings novels, and then selling advertising on the website, without giving a dime to Mr. King. Think that would fly? Doubt it.

Justified greed? By your logic, Leonardo da Vinci would be turning in his grave over all the photos roaming around on this planet of his works, since he'd be righteously entitled to a fee. Does that seem right to you? By that logic as well, you could extort me and every single artist for drawing "copyright" objects, such as guitars, soup- and soda-cans, various car-models, and so on. If tablatures are going to be banned because of corporate greed, then what's next? Humming the song on the streets gonna' be declared illegal as well, as it's an "unpermitted, illegal rendition of the song"?

[Dan1099]

Originally Posted by Roland777

Justified greed? By your logic, Leonardo da Vinci would be turning in his grave over all the photos roaming around on this planet of his works, since he'd be righteously entitled to a fee. Does that seem right to you? By that logic as well, you could extort me and every single artist for drawing "copyright" objects, such as guitars, soup- and soda-cans, various car-models, and so on. If tablatures are going to be banned because of corporate greed, then what's next? Humming the song on the streets gonna' be declared illegal as well, as it's an "unpermitted, illegal rendition of the song"?

You damn well better believe that the owners of Mona Lisa have authorized the use of the image for certain things. Also, there would probably be no problem if no one was making money off of the stuff, in the case of your drawings. But the minute you sell one, it's copyright infringement.

[tkozal]

The Harry A Fox agency is behind much of this, and the goal is to enforce the composers rights. If you ever compose anything for real $$$, you will want your rights enforced also.

But the issue with tabs is not the tab per se, it was the inclusion of lyrics in addition to the Tab - that seemed to go too far. If you will note, those sites that had all the lyrics are now gone (like the late, great rukind.com site - still there but no more tabs with lyrics, he says it just wasn't worth the risk), if they are still around, they are operating from a country that is not in the legal sphere of the first world, and safe from the long arms of the Harry A Fox agency and their lawyers.

Most of the tab sites I go to, and I use guitarstab.cc from time to time, will not have the lyrics, maybe just the start of a line or part of the first verse.

tabrobot.com is your friend.