4 ms·

Honestly, I think if I wrote something significant enough that I got sued for it - that's probably a VERY good sign about my own prospects and future as a music

Honestly, I think if I wrote something significant enough that I got sued for it - that's probably a VERY good sign about my own prospects and future as a musician. Lil Nas X was completely independent when he created Old Town Road with a complete copy & paste of Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross's music. So even in cases of absurdly blatant copyright infringement the artist might still do okay !

bobsmooth 3y ago
I'd prefer if song makers could produce in freedom rather than deal with getting sued or winning the lottery that is getting signed.
graphe 3y ago
Trent Reznor doesn't enforce copyright and it's famous for not doing so.
- juliusdavies 3y ago
  The Reznor/Ross track that Old Town Road was built from carries a Creative-Commons Non-Commercial license. But Old Town Road is obviously commercial. Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross currently receive a significant portion of the royalties (more than Lil Nas X!).
  - squeaky-clean 3y ago
    > Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross currently receive a significant portion of the royalties (more than Lil Nas X!). Do you have any source on this? Reznor has stayed mostly quiet about Old Town Road aside from mentioning it was strange at first but he doesn't really mind it. They worked out a deal but I don't think the terms were ever made public. Could he have demanded a large share of the royalties? Sure. But do you have proof he did?
    - juliusdavies 3y ago
      Lil Nas X reports in Variety that Reznor/Ross might be getting up to 50% of the royalties (he wasn't sure exactly). https://variety.com/2020/music/news/old-town-road-recorded-for-50-dollars-grammy-nominated-1203480697/ https://variety.com/2020/music/news/old-town-road-recorded-f... There's also a comment on Reddit that sounds pretty believable (Reznor: 37.5, Ross: 12.5, Lil Nas X: 21.25, YoungKio: 21.25, Billy Ray Cyrus: 3.75%, Jozzy: 3.75%). https://www.reddit.com/r/musicindustry/comments/bu3gd1/comment/ep89eoo/?utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=web2x&context=3 https://www.reddit.com/r/musicindustry/comments/bu3gd1/comme...
acomjean 3y ago
Once you’re successful you become a worthwhile target of frivolous lawsuits, I guess that’s a sign of success.
- juliusdavies 3y ago
  If someone has even heard my song and thinks it's good enough to be worth suing over I must be doing something right...
squeaky-clean 3y ago
You don't have to be large or even get sued for them to affect you. Gyu Beats had a video where he recreated Aphex Twin's "Ageispolis" from scratch. And Die Antwoord's label copyright-claimed all revenue from that video because Die Antwoord sampled Ageispolis (unedited, with permission). It's likely an automated copyright claim, but does that make it any better? https://youtu.be/SQriRPIvCd4 https://youtu.be/SQriRPIvCd4 If Aphex Twin copyright-claimed the song that would be another thing. But this is like if someone else sampled Ghosts 34 and Lil Nas X claimed original copyright ownership of the sample.
- hgsgm 3y ago
  That's Alphabet/Google/YouTube ContendID law, not copyright law.
  - red-iron-pine 3y ago
    You can argue legal merits all day but the reality is the little guy doesn't have much chance against FAANG lawyers without a lot of financial backing from elsewhere
    - kelthan 3y ago
      All of the FAANG companies have railed against the overreach of DCMA Takedown Notices. However, they are bound by law to comply with them.
      - account42 3y ago
        No they are not. They are required to comply or take on liability.
  - kelthan 3y ago
    That is part of the rules required of distribution sites like YouTube, Apple Music, Spotify, etc., as defined in US law as part of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DCMA). Hence the name "DCMA Takedown Notice".
kelthan 3y ago
Maybe... Until 2019, 100% of the royalties for the song "Bitter Sweet Symphony" by The Verve, released in 1997 and their most recognizable song, went to the Rolling Stones. The Verve sampled the distinctive repeating string theme in that song from the Rolling Stones' "The Last Time", released in 1965. The Verve even got permission to use the riff from the 'Stones record label prior to releasing "Bitter Sweet Symphony." https://www.npr.org/2019/05/23/726227555/not-bitter-just-sweet-the-rolling-stones-give-royalties-to-the-verve https://www.npr.org/2019/05/23/726227555/not-bitter-just-swe...

bobsmooth 3y ago

I'd prefer if song makers could produce in freedom rather than deal with getting sued or winning the lottery that is getting signed.

graphe 3y ago

Trent Reznor doesn't enforce copyright and it's famous for not doing so.

juliusdavies 3y ago
The Reznor/Ross track that Old Town Road was built from carries a Creative-Commons Non-Commercial license. But Old Town Road is obviously commercial. Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross currently receive a significant portion of the royalties (more than Lil Nas X!).
- squeaky-clean 3y ago
  > Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross currently receive a significant portion of the royalties (more than Lil Nas X!). Do you have any source on this? Reznor has stayed mostly quiet about Old Town Road aside from mentioning it was strange at first but he doesn't really mind it. They worked out a deal but I don't think the terms were ever made public. Could he have demanded a large share of the royalties? Sure. But do you have proof he did?
  - juliusdavies 3y ago
    Lil Nas X reports in Variety that Reznor/Ross might be getting up to 50% of the royalties (he wasn't sure exactly). https://variety.com/2020/music/news/old-town-road-recorded-for-50-dollars-grammy-nominated-1203480697/ https://variety.com/2020/music/news/old-town-road-recorded-f... There's also a comment on Reddit that sounds pretty believable (Reznor: 37.5, Ross: 12.5, Lil Nas X: 21.25, YoungKio: 21.25, Billy Ray Cyrus: 3.75%, Jozzy: 3.75%). https://www.reddit.com/r/musicindustry/comments/bu3gd1/comment/ep89eoo/?utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=web2x&context=3 https://www.reddit.com/r/musicindustry/comments/bu3gd1/comme...

acomjean 3y ago

Once you’re successful you become a worthwhile target of frivolous lawsuits, I guess that’s a sign of success.

juliusdavies 3y ago
If someone has even heard my song and thinks it's good enough to be worth suing over I must be doing something right...

squeaky-clean 3y ago

You don't have to be large or even get sued for them to affect you. Gyu Beats had a video where he recreated Aphex Twin's "Ageispolis" from scratch. And Die Antwoord's label copyright-claimed all revenue from that video because Die Antwoord sampled Ageispolis (unedited, with permission). It's likely an automated copyright claim, but does that make it any better? https://youtu.be/SQriRPIvCd4 https://youtu.be/SQriRPIvCd4 If Aphex Twin copyright-claimed the song that would be another thing. But this is like if someone else sampled Ghosts 34 and Lil Nas X claimed original copyright ownership of the sample.

hgsgm 3y ago
That's Alphabet/Google/YouTube ContendID law, not copyright law.
- red-iron-pine 3y ago
  You can argue legal merits all day but the reality is the little guy doesn't have much chance against FAANG lawyers without a lot of financial backing from elsewhere
  - kelthan 3y ago
    All of the FAANG companies have railed against the overreach of DCMA Takedown Notices. However, they are bound by law to comply with them.
    - account42 3y ago
      No they are not. They are required to comply or take on liability.
- kelthan 3y ago
  That is part of the rules required of distribution sites like YouTube, Apple Music, Spotify, etc., as defined in US law as part of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DCMA). Hence the name "DCMA Takedown Notice".

kelthan 3y ago

Maybe... Until 2019, 100% of the royalties for the song "Bitter Sweet Symphony" by The Verve, released in 1997 and their most recognizable song, went to the Rolling Stones. The Verve sampled the distinctive repeating string theme in that song from the Rolling Stones' "The Last Time", released in 1965. The Verve even got permission to use the riff from the 'Stones record label prior to releasing "Bitter Sweet Symphony." https://www.npr.org/2019/05/23/726227555/not-bitter-just-sweet-the-rolling-stones-give-royalties-to-the-verve https://www.npr.org/2019/05/23/726227555/not-bitter-just-swe...