Crazy laws!

[rob1963]

You can buy radio cassettes which allow you to record directly from the radio, but this is illegal to do.

You can also buy Video recorders and DVD recorders which are designed to record TV programmes, and yet this is also illegal to do.

Now we can buy fantastic professional hard drive players, but I'm told there is no licence available, so once again it's illegal to use them.

Is it me, or are these laws completely crazy?

:bang: :bang: :bang:

[DJ Frankie]

There is a licence you can buy for your laptop which can be found here.

http://www.digitaldj.co.uk/paris/digitaldj_home.asp?page=whyneed.asp

This should cover you for your music lappy. Sorted.... ;)

[Corabar Entertainment]

It's not as simple as that unfortunately Subsonic.

That licence has more holes than Swiss Cheese, and it is widely accepted that it is useless without the MCPS SG6 licence. It is because of these flaws that the LWP was set up to negotiate with the authorities and new licences are being worked on, but we don't know when they will be available.

[Dragonfly]

last time i read among other things wasnt price a big issue / sticking point?? as the powers that be seem to think we are all out 5 nights a week earning £400 a gig :confused: :confused: :confused: :D

[Dragonfly]

just thought id add this one

when youre 16 you can legally do naughtys but .......... if you video the event you have to wait 2 years before you can watch it ???? crazy indeed

[Tonsk]

One of the key problems with the Digital DJ licence, in my understanding, is that unless you download every track you have from a legit site and keep the receipt, you have to have the SG6 with it to allow you to copy songs from one format (ie CD) to another format (WAV/MP3 etc) for playback.

This is also the case if you "backup" your cds and take out the copy to preserve the original.

If you look at the side of any CD it always states no unauthorised coping, reproduction etc allowed and this is what the SG6 licence allows.

However, the SG6 licence allows you to convert the tracks ONLY if you have the written permission of the copyright holder........

So now you have to pay for the Digital DJ Licence, the SG6 licence AND ask the copyright holders permission - so lots of letters to Song, EMI etc.....

Still to much of a grey area for me....

EDIT:
Looking at the DDJ licence, it states :

What sources can I use?
Digital copies can only be made from legitimately sourced recordings owned by the DJ – e.g. vinyl, CDs, digital downloads. Copies cannot be made from illegitimate sources such as bootleg CDs and unauthorised download sites, or from CDs or digital files borrowed from another DJ.

Now I'm even more confused...

[Pierre Le Sound]

just thought id add this one

when youre 16 you can legally do naughtys but .......... if you video the event you have to wait 2 years before you can watch it ???? crazy indeed

...AND, you can't watch horror or violent movies until you are 18, but you can join the Army and kill people.

[Vectis]

You'll all like THIS (http://weirdnews.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ&sdn=weirdnews&cdn=newsissues&tm=56&f=10&su=p284.21.140.ip_&tt=2&bt=0&bts=0&zu=http%3A//www.mundayweb.com/weirdlaws.php%23britain) site then...! :cool:

[Danno13]

You can fight and die for your contry at 16, but can't have a drink till your 18. And the US is even more daft, you can be in charge of a 1.5tonne killing machine (a car) at 16, but then can't drink for another 5 years!!!

[andyw]

You'll all like THIS (http://weirdnews.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ&sdn=weirdnews&cdn=newsissues&tm=56&f=10&su=p284.21.140.ip_&tt=2&bt=0&bts=0&zu=http%3A//www.mundayweb.com/weirdlaws.php%23britain) site then...! :cool:

must take a trip to liverpool to buy some tropical fish:)

[sleah]

Looking at the DDJ licence, it states :

What sources can I use?
Digital copies can only be made from legitimately sourced recordings owned by the DJ – e.g. vinyl, CDs, digital downloads. Copies cannot be made from illegitimate sources such as bootleg CDs and unauthorised download sites, or from CDs or digital files borrowed from another DJ.

Now I'm even more confused...

That's one great hole they dug. Based on this statement you don't need an SG6, which is slightly different anyway.
MCPS will never prosecute anyone with a DDJ licence because of this.
One could quite rightly say you thought the wording meant exactly what it says :confused:
"Digital copies can.....be made from.....eg vinyl, CD..."

Now if you had an SG6, surely you wouldn't need the DDJ as you've already "bought" fully legal copies under the SG6.:confused:

Besides, the DDJ licence states you must delete the copies if the DDJ licence is terminated. How could they force you to delete the copies you'd legally paid for under the SG6?

The only conclusion is that with a DDJ licence you don't need an SG6, it was intended as a (badly thought out) alternative to the SG6.

That's my impression anyway :confused:





You can fight and die for your contry at 16, but can't have a drink till your 18. And the US is even more daft, you can be in charge of a 1.5tonne killing machine (a car) at 16, but then can't drink for another 5 years!!!

Not quite as daft if you think about it. In theory they don't get ANY young drunk drivers :D

On a related topic, in the UK can 16yr olds still smoke but just not buy them, or is smoking at 16 now illegal?????

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

I'm not sure I'm following here, but what you have to take into consideration is that the current digital DJ licence has been issued by the PPL and the SG6 is a dubbing licence (not really intended for DJs) issued by MCPS.

There are two different bodies that take royalties.

[sleah]

I'm not sure I'm following here, but what you have to take into consideration is that the current digital DJ licence has been issued by the PPL and the SG6 is a dubbing licence (not really intended for DJs) issued by MCPS.

There are two different bodies that take royalties.

You've just hit the nail square on the head :bang:

I believe PPL & Mastermix just rushed in to it and made one of the biggest balls-ups in recent licensing history. They clearly didn't fully understand all the copyright laws in the first place. They didn't do enough (if any) research by talking to DJ's. The price is just made up and doesn't reflect anything.
Some DJ's have written directly to record companies who told them they could (personally, not the whole industry) make digital copies for their own DJ use.
All we ask is that we can convert the format of our own bought music collections for digital playout.
I don't think record companies will have a problem with it, I don't think artists/composers will have a problem with it, I don't think the BPI will have a problem with it, it's just the suits that are supposed to represent the industry i.e. PPL & MCPS. Those two organisations are the DJ's Antichrist, they give the impression they hate us and everything we stand for.
They seem to think that nailling decent honest DJ's to the floor will stop piracy. Maybe it does on their home planet, sure as hell won't on this one!

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

Having met with the BPI, MCPS and PPL as part of the LWP, I think you are wrong on some counts, but maybe right on others.

They don't hate us at all and know what we do is nothing to do with piracy.

The MCPS and PPL are doing what is right for their members which I understand, and ultimately when you change the medium of something, you are making a copy and therefore it is subject to royalties.

They are stuck between a rock and a hard place, because there does need to be licensing, but if they make it cheap so that all DJs can afford it, they say that it will not cover the admin costs.

[sleah]

:cool: you are member of the LWP then? Excellent!

I was sounding off a bit about them hating us, but that's the feeling you get at times :bang:

Funny how large organisations ******** about "admin" costs.
I would have though £50 would be plenty to cover "admin" costs. It's hardly our faults if they are so darn inefficient it does actually cost more!

Personally I think the content of the licence is quite fair all round, so it does look after members interests, mainly in the fact that it is for DJ use only and that the tracks should be deleted on termination of the licence.
I though the backup clause was very fair and well thought out. It means you can in fact have two complete copies - i.e. show machine plus back up show machine, you couldn't do a 'restore' mid show!

Let's hope the LWP can get something sorted that's watertight, fair and resonably priced. Probably too much to ask, but hey - stranger things have been known, haven't they?:D

[soundscapes]

the problem is proving that you own all the original copies and i cant see any way for them to ever police this. Whats to stop people "claiming" to have original cds, buying a laptop and going out undercutting everyone. If anyone ever checks they would need to arrange for you to produce your originals (as surely you wouldnt take them with you) so whats to stop you borrowing some for the day ? I dont think theres much wrong with the price of the current licence, it just needs clarifying and then properly policing, I havent once been asked for mine.

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

What we actually proposed was accepted. We proposed a licence with add-ons for karaoke. A licence to copy from whatever to whatever medium. Etc etc

The only thing holding it all back appears to be the price.

We are really hoping they have been listening this time.

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

the problem is proving that you own all the original copies and i cant see any way for them to ever police this. Whats to stop people "claiming" to have original cds, buying a laptop and going out undercutting everyone. If anyone ever checks they would need to arrange for you to produce your originals (as surely you wouldnt take them with you) so whats to stop you borrowing some for the day ? I dont think theres much wrong with the price of the current licence, it just needs clarifying and then properly policing, I havent once been asked for mine.

Both the PPL and MCPS have not got the resources to be checking anyone.

They have both said that unless things change, the licences will be 'self policing'.

[sleah]

Simon, in the licence they do reserve the right to come round and take a look.

That could be interesting.