IMSLP is currently under an extraordinarily underhanded legal attack by the Music Publishers Association of UK (http://mpaonline.org.uk).The MPA, without notifying us, sent to our domain registrar GoDaddy a bogus DMCA takedown notice. GoDaddy took the entire IMSLP.ORG domain down. IMSLP has filed a DMCA counter notice with GoDaddy, however, the DMCA seems to require the registrar to wait no less than 10 days before restoring service. This means that IMSLP is inaccessible from IMSLP.ORG during this period of time. We will be working to restore service as soon as possible.What is the MPA complaining about? Rachmaninoff’s Bells, which is public domain both in Canada and the USA: [link]. MPA’s claim is entirely bogus.Workaround: You can still reach the site by using either petruccilibrary.org or petruccimusiclibrary.org Note, however, that some links on the site that refer to IMSLP.ORG may be broken; you will have to manually replace IMSLP.ORG with one of the two above domain names manually in the URL bar.
I do think this is a sad day, as the project was, to my knowledge, a unique one. For anyone that doesn't know, the IMSLP was attempting to create a vast library of Public Domain sheet music and scores to substantial works, and make them available for download for the everyday user in a digital format. This was an absolutely amazing website for musicians doing research, as they often had multiple editions of pieces scanned into their libraries, which were vast and contained a multitude of works by a multitude of composers.
I only hope that this legal action is resolved quickly, as the IMSLP was dealing solely in public domain works, which is entirely legal.
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As an aside, I found their point fascinating: Why is the MPA of the UK (or the US, or any other country for that matter) more willing to push the works of modern composers? Is it simply considered too high risk a venture in a market that leaves little room for wide capital gains, and certainly little reward for failure? I guess they're not willing to speculate in something as subjective as musical taste. But it's true, it is sad that so many companies are hell bent on making a profit off of composers long dead, whose works have long ago entered the public domain. The industry, as it is, is resisting an inevitable change. We may not like it, and it may not be pretty, but it's going to happen. You can either ride the wave, or drown in its undertow.
It really is all about dollars and cents. When you're a business, you're not rewarded for acting in the best interest of mankind. You're rewarded by eliminating competition, pushing down costs, and raising prices as much as your clients are willing to tolerate. The only reason they would do this is because they see them as a threat. When people can easily obtain free music to perform, they may be less willing to spend money on newer music.
ReplyDeleteIs the change you're referring to a move to digital music? In talks with one of my mentors, we actually question why any music should go out of publication now in the digital age. Anyone with a printer can "publish" music. I can understand not spending money on music that doesn't sell well, but it would probably be profitable to keep those works in digital format and charge to download the score and parts. Imagine the world of music that could be reopened to us if publishers chose to go this route.
It's like an article I was reading on www.overthinkingit.com earlier. They noted that Netflix doesn't mind having to wait a while to get new movies, because where they make 99% of their money is on being able to offer the more obscure titles that movie stores and red boxes don't have room for on their shelves. I know there is some music I've been able to play that was no longer published at the time, that I thought was great. It'd be neat to get access to all of that music again. It makes me wonder why the major publishing companies aren't making this move already?
But perhaps that's a little bit of a tangent. Thanks for the article!
The move in the industry I'm referring to is the death grip they try to keep on royalties to pieces that should have long ago gone public domain.
ReplyDeleteI do think there will be a hard time for the industry and composers ahead, both in pop and classical music, as many musicians are finding new ways to publish their music that eliminates the middle man. The move of many small bands in pop music to self publishing on iTunes is an excellent example of this. Why should they pay a record producer if they don't have to?
I could potentially see this move happening in the composers quarters as well. One of the starting composers I know personally is start up his own publishing company from the office in his house, complete with sound studio, high quality printer and binding materials, and he'll soon have his own website. All for only a few thousand dollars.
Why should he have to beg and plead a well known music publisher to please print his scores/parts and then take a cut of his royalties? It's asinine. While there isn't nearly as easy an out in the composer/sheet music field as iTunes, I do think there will be an industry shift. As ASCAP continuously gets more and more Draconian in its policies, these things will slowly change, and they'll drag to music industry kicking and screaming with it.