Is Big Brother infringing musics copyright laws?

In the case of Harrison's "My Sweet Lord" and the Chiffons "He's so Fine" the deciding argument rested on the fact that My Sweet Lord" copied at least 8 measures of "He's so Fine".

And I believe that this is the rule.

In your case, if the guitarist in question copied a riff and played it over and over, that riff would have to be at least 8 measures long.

Now the producers of Big Brother would never allow any music to escape into the airwaves in the manner you suggested.

But let's say that they did. At that point, its not the guitarist's problem...and its not much of a problem for the producers of Big Brother...all they have to do is pay the copyright royality fee. No big deal. They probably pay more for one weeks salary of a gopher getting them coffee in the morning.

Now your little comment about not having the composers consent is way off the mark.

If a composer didn't want you to play his music he wouldn't make it available to the public to begin with. Chances are, if your guitarist is playing someone else's music it is because that composer WANTED it to be known.

The way the biz works is this: If you write a song and copyright it, YOU WANT FOLKS TO PLAY IT. Because you want the chance of having royalities collected and a check sent to your house.

The only time you will not see a composer give his consent is when he or she does not want the music known...in which case your guitarist would never have heard of it to begin with.

 

Actually, I'm sure that has happened on Big Brother? I'm sure someone had a guitar on the first series of Big Brother in the UK?

Anyway, like Machaut says, it's no big deal at all. Composer's consent doesn't come into it. All it means is that royalties must be paid.

Though, an interesting point is, how similar does it have to be? Suppose the guy with the guitar plays the riff from Day Tripper, but plays it wrong? Suppose he plays a #9 instead of a 9 (G instead of F#)?

Supposing he gets several notes wrong?

And, one of your examples Kirby was a Nirvana solo. Does a solo count? The solo isn't necessarily part of the composition of the song. If I were on Big Brother and I had my bass, and I played Jaco's solo from Donna Lee (yeah, and pigs might fly!)? Would anyone get any money? Either Miles or Bird wrote the tune - but I don't see how their respective estates can be due any royalties.

Maybe an improvised solo counts as a composition - would Jaco's familiy be due any royalties? Jaco's solo isn't part of the composition of the tune Donna Lee. It's simply one particular performance, with an improvised solo, that was recorded.

Hmm.

 

You're all missing one very big and important point. Big Brother sux.....

 

Of course from what I understand the Solo for donna lee was recorded in chunks, and prewritten, so that "solo" was composed.

But yeah your general idea is still valid.

they could always pull a Vanilla Ice

"you see, 'under pressure" goes like this...duh duh duh dadada duh/ duh duh duh dadada duh....but "ice,ice baby goes like this: duh duh duh dadada duh/ duh duh duh dadada duh DAH! and then repeat, you see, that last note, isn't in the original song"

 

Heh. That claim was ridiculous. Did Vanilla Ice actually get away with that or not? He shouldn't have.

 

Aww...crap,so you're saying I can't play/learn anymore cover stuff in my room?

But...but...just a few hours ago I was playing some Metallica

Bastards -_-


-Jon

 

Aww that sucks,no more Osbournes then


-Jack