By Jonathan Irons
Internet forum contributors and bloggers alike have spent the
last few days flaming the MPA and distributing link upon link to
lyrics and tab sites, just to teach them a lesson.
A guitar tab is a simple graphic presentation of a song
corresponding to the strings of the guitar. It is easy to read and
can be written with any text-only editor. However, as with any
graphic presentation of a song (i.e. sheet music), a tab is covered
by the copyright of the original work, even if it has been
transcribed by a well-meaning fan (tabs usually are). This is not
new. Distributing sheet music of a copyright-protected work without
permission is illegal, whoever created it.
But getting this message across gently is more important than
threatening jail sentences. Jail threats for site owners are
unrealistic and unnecessarily inflammatory (“so now they want to
jail us just for singing their songs too”).
The comments by the MPA president, intentionally or otherwise,
unfortunately give the impression that the whole business of
downloading sheet music is illegal. No mention is made of the
thriving and growing businesses run by legitimate websites with the
full permission and agreement of publishers and authors.
The MPA action, contrary to its claims, is not proactive. If it
were, the MPA would be promoting and supporting the legal music
sites currently operating instead of waving jail terms at their
adversaries. And following hot on the heels of a questionable cease
and desist action by Warner Chappell against a lyrics search tool,
the MPA opens itself up to the criticism being targeted already at
the big music companies and the Recording Industry Association of
America, albeit for completely difference reasons.
The MPA is right to act against violations of music copyrights.
However, it would be well advised to do so hand-in-hand with the
legal websites already operating and to do more to explain the
sometimes difficult question of copyright restrictions, instead of
angering the very people it needs to convince.
