Bootlegs, Solo Material, Piracy On The Cyber Seas, Bo Clones, A little spiritual guidence (very little)

["Mark R. Leaman" <mleaman@sccoast.net>]

>The performance has already been bootlegged, hasn't it?

Keets:

Has it? I didn't know. I'm pretty much in a "bootleg-free" zone here.
Unfortunately.

> So now that it's
>released, selling or trading it becomes pirating?

Yes, definitely. IMHO this is why we got the ANTHOLOGYs and bonus tracks on
the new releases...if one single song on a bootleg is legally available, it
changes from bootlegging to pirating (a much more serious offense). Thus the
labels were able to make whole catalogs of "imports" illegal in one shot.
And it used to be, at least (because laws are constantly being changed),
legal in Germany and Italy to release any live performance not released by
the label...again, one song changes this to a crime.
Any who are interested should read a book called Bootleg by Clinton Heylin,
which I was fortunate enough to be given by our very own Derick (take a bow,
Derick) and is much appreciated...and very interesting. The Who figure in a
good bit of it.

>Maybe MCA/Polydor wouldn't do something like that, but other labels are
more
>current.

Remember, until recently Pete was solo on Atlantic.

>Okay.  It's already covered by the contracts.  Labels own the rights to all
>the old PT albums and they can stop him from putting the recordings up for
>download, but what he can do with any new recordings are defined in the new
>contracts.

I understand, but was thinking more of if someone like you or I put the
music up for download free on our websites (OK, so I don't have one yet but
you get the idea).

>Free downloads on private sites might be regarded as piracy

Maybe, but where are the damages if the "pirate" doesn't benefit?

>a form of promotion.  Old companies like MCA/Polydor are putting their
>efforts into protection instead, like the new DVD WHO'S NEXT.

I agree completely.

>Considering that The Who should pay Bo everytime "Magic Bus" plays, I'd say
he's
>right.

Brian:

In which case, The Stones should be completely supporting Chuck Berry in
whatever lifestyle he should choose.

>Thanks Mark for the bootleg info.  So far, I've gotten lucky in some
places,
>and not so lucky in others, but - no arrests have been made, and that's a
>good thing.

Jim:

Yes, that's always a good thing.


>seem to be confused when you ask them if they know when they will be
getting
>the new Pete Townshend.  "Uh,....  Pete who?"

I find this to be the case in most stores, with a lot of bands. I, for
instance, will buy a CD by bands like Trapese or Budgie, and so on, whereas
the Mall stores haven't a clue about who these people are. Pete Townshend
deserves better, but in some ways by not selling out he has brought it on
himself and I'm not unhappy about it.

>playing at two different venues in two different months and I can't get a
>ticket to either? This is like a bad dream.

Sheridan:

If it's to be, it will be. We can influence the universal (as such). Just
repeat this chant after me: "Tour, tour, tour, tour..." Come on,
EVERYBODY...