Hi all, you know I come here and mostly read what others have to say, but this sort of disappoints me what some are saying thing like "Someone ripped my samples" To me that has always been a Grey area in tracking anyhow. Where did you get the sample first? Did you get it from a Yamaha keyboard perhaps. If that be the case, well then would not Yamaha actually own it, and not you? I know they don't just fall from the sky to certain people. They have to come from another source, then converted, or whatever to use them in trackers. But out of respect, and if you stipulate so, others should not use them. I have seen in some files that they do say it is ok to use them.
I see so many pointing saying this person stole this and that. "I will sue you", and that kind of junk. Correct if I am wrong, but was not the reason many of us went to this way of making music to get away from all that RIAA / LA scene sue happy crap? Because we were a tad "renegade"?
If people do not want others to do anything with their song then put your conditions in the tag. I know modplug has that option. Put your terms there, instead of using up the space sending shoutouts to all your homeys. Legality begins with the artist, their recording label, or their appointed agents. Not the end user or recipient.
I do think if you use another person's music file, no matter what you convert it to, give them credit still. I always do at my site. I know even to this day many still don't know what this kind of composing is. So I show them samples converted to swf so they can hear it, and get an idea of what it can do.. Giving credits is the unwritten law, called courtesy. I also agree with those who say they are flattered others spread their music. That is how one builds a fan base, yes? Bottom line is, read the tag. Then if it is ok, then go for it. It is the composer's responsibility and theirs only to set the conditions. It is then your responsibility to honor those conditions.
However, free stops being truly free when conditions get attached. Then it is a borrowed and never truly for the masses, it's just more DRM crap.
As for me I have been lucky at times even finding the tracking artist to ask permissions, and many it seems have disappeared off the face of the earth. Heavens knows how many unanswered or undeliverable emails I have sent out over the years. Or going to long time dead sites
One thing is though, the composers you do actually find are usually pretty nice and easy going about you using their compositions. They appreciate your asking. Let's keep it that way..please
