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Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!floyd!harpo!decvax!decwrl!rhea!akov68!boyajian
From: boyajian@akov68.DEC
Newsgroups: net.followup
Subject: re: Copyright Violations
Message-ID: <6415@decwrl.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 22-Mar-84 06:26:10 EST
Article-I.D.: decwrl.6415
Posted: Thu Mar 22 06:26:10 1984
Date-Received: Fri, 23-Mar-84 20:42:51 EST
Organization: DEC Engineering Network
Lines: 40


> Posting a lyric
> will keep n number of people from buying the album or the sheet music for
> that song the same way posting the kernel will keep n number of people from
> buying a tape from Bell, to the same result. Loss of business and a
> straightforward copyright violation.
>					---Chuq Von Rospach

I disagree; you are talking apples and oranges here. The second half of that
statement is true: posting the kernel lessen the number of sales of the software
from Bell, because anyone who has the source can *reproduce the object software
exactly as Bell sells it*. Posting the lyrics will not do the same. By getting a
free copy of the lyrics to "Eat It", I couldn't reproduce the song as it is sold
by the record company; I would need the musical scores and a band, at the very
least.
	Someone else posted a comment to the effect that the lyrics are really
all there is to the song, and thus they should especially be protected. I say,
"Bullshit!" I can see the point in that they certainly are the most important
part of the song and the only thing that sets the song apart from that which it
parodies. Still, there is more to the song than just the lyrics, namely the
musical score and sound.
	If you seriously think that anyone would not buy the record or the sheet
music because they were able to get a free copy of the lyrics from USENET, you
are living off-planet somewhere. Anyone who buys a piece of sheet music does so
because of the *music*, not because of the lyrics; lyrics can be transcribed off
of the record, music can't (unless you're a very, *very* talented musician).
Anyone who buys the record does so to listen to the song, not to read the lyr-
ics.
	As I said in a previous posting, printing song lyrics would be more
likely to *generate* sales in the record, rather than inhibit them.

	It's one thing to determine a literal application of the law and another
to determine a practical application of the law. Let's not confuse the two. Hav-
ing and using both gives the law-enforcement agencies and the courts flexiblity
in dealing with crime.

				  --- jayembee
				      (Jerry Boyajian, DEC Maynard)
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