Re: [dvd-discuss] Rhapsody in Blue and the death of Jazz

["D. C. Sessions" <dcs(at)lumbercartel.com>]

On Sat, 2002-06-01 at 19:07, Ernest Miller wrote:
> The cost of a mechanical reproduction license, so that I can sell my 
> cover of Britney Spears' latest is $0.08.  Not too bad.

That's $0.08 for each time the derivative composition is played
on radio, Muzak, etc.

It certainly doesn't apply to (for instance) live performance
of Gershwin's compositions, which high school orchestras pretty
much can't afford to play because of the royalties to the
Gershwin estate, and because the air-time (etc.) royalty with
ASCAP and BMI is a zero-sum game it also means that there's no
percentage for the composer of derivative works.

Also, please note, the *performer* gets nada from air time,
with the result that most popular musical groups do their
own writing and if they do cover someone else's tune it's
not the one they promote for air time.

-- 
| May I have the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, |
|  the strength to change the things I cannot accept, and the   |
|    cunning to hide the bodies of those who got in my way.     |
+------------- D. C. Sessions <dcs@lumbercartel.com> -----------+