Should I or shouldn’t I?
Now it’s not that I’m an artiste or anything, But…
It just happened that a CD I’d recorded came to the ears of the CEO of my biggest customer. I work for a US Company and he’s a Palestinian, and a thoroughly nice guy.
He has basically comissioned me to do a kind of extended jingle (i.e. song length)which he wants to have playing through the p.a. in an exhibition hall that they are hiring in January.
It’s not really my kind of thing, but they represent 40% of my Middle East sales.
The worst is now to come…
A)He wants me to write the words about his Fire Protection company along the lines of ‘we’ll keep you safe from harm’ etc…
B)He wants it to the music of 'We are the world’
C)His company is called NAFFCO…
Any pearls of wisdom from my esteemed colleagues here would be most welcome!!
I assuming that you know that you can’t use the music of “We are the World” w/o paying royalities, otherwise you (he) could get sued. Other than that, if you can get paid to do music & you like it, go for it. It would be what I would probably do unless it was really worth my while, which it sounds like it might be.
Naffco is there
Like a spare tire
Naffco works to protect your world from the threat of fire
Let’s all join hands
I dunno, Mike, gotta check the copyright laws where he is.
Isn’t the real danger here that he is a client? Why muck up the relationship? I say: hire Mike to do it for you - then you can blame him if the customer hates it, and take credit for knowing who to go to if the customer likes it.
Eyup!
Oh dear 
I think your only way out is to use the trick from Blackadder Goes Forth.
i.e. Put your underpants on your head, stick a pencil up each nostril and answer every question with the word "bibble"
Steve
Quote:
I dunno, Mike, gotta check the copyright laws where he is.
You cannot use the melody from a copyrighted song (unless you change it a bunch) - just ask George Harrison and John Lennon (well you can't ask them because they're dead). George got sewed for "My Sweet Lord" and John got sewed for "Come Together". I think George lost but I'm not sure about John.
Aren't we talking morals here Tom, not laws :-) It would be morally wrong to steal someone else's melody for profit wouldn't it? (Got cha)
Let me know how this turns out, I plan on covering that song…as a parody…
keep shinin’
jerm 
Quote: (MidnightToker @ Oct. 05 2007, 6:08 PM)
Quote:
I dunno, Mike, gotta check the copyright laws where he is.
You cannot use the melody from a copyrighted song (unless you change it a bunch) - just ask George Harrison and John Lennon (well you can't ask them because they're dead). George got sewed for "My Sweet Lord" and John got sewed for "Come Together".
I think George lost but I'm not sure about John.
Aren't we talking morals here Tom, not laws :-)
It would be morally wrong to steal someone else's melody for profit wouldn't it?
(Got cha)
Actually maybe my post was a little misleading. I am not getting paid in cash for this. It was broached as a personal favour request from my biggest customer, and therefore a hard request to turn down.
If I am not getting paid and it is not available commercially, does copyright apply? I'm doubtful!!
Quote: (Bruffie @ Oct. 05 2007, 4:03 PM)
If I am not getting paid and it is not available commercially, does copyright apply? I'm doubtful!!
Eyup!
Yes, copyright applies.
When I worked for a TV rental company, we had an in-house presentation, purely for staff only which used a clip from the start of TV broadcasting in the UK.
Only the images were used, the sound was muted and had a voice over from our illustrious manager.
The company got sued and had to pay.
However, you may want to look into the "mechanical copyright" laws which pertain to people doing covers of previously released material. I think what you have been asked to do falls into that category.
Steve
Ah, Mike, I was going to say that you wrer being inconsistent… 
Actually I wasn’t. I was only pointing out that the copyright laws where Bruffie is might differ from those here in the States, e.g., and depending on what they are, he might be able to do it without paying. Morally, this sort of use seems ambiguous to me - no serious money is involved, and the original song gets a little more exposure, so there’s a reasonably strong argument that it OK.
Eyup!
Well, according to the mechanical copyright people, there is no issue in a musician recording a cover version of anything, the payment of royalties is required only if that recording is distributed (whether or not payment is involved), or broadcast.
The term “broadcast” is very wide and really means anywhere except a private home.
In Bruffies case, he is quite at liberty to record the song, and even give a copy to his client, but as soon as it is played on the exhibition hall PA, then a royalty becomes payable.
It depends on individual country rules as to who is actually liable, the exhibition hall, or Bruffies client. Here in the UK, both parties would be, under different schemes.
However, don’t get the idea that it’s an expensive process, for example, the cost of a UK license to produce up to 500 giveaway copies of the proposed disk would be
£20 PAID UP FRONT.
Steve
Quote: (Beefy Steve @ Oct. 05 2007, 6:25 PM)
Eyup!
Well, according to the mechanical copyright people, there is no issue in a musician recording a cover version of anything, the payment of royalties is required only if that recording is distributed (whether or not payment is involved), or broadcast.
The term "broadcast" is very wide and really means anywhere except a private home.
In Bruffies case, he is quite at liberty to record the song, and even give a copy to his client, but as soon as it is played on the exhibition hall PA, then a royalty becomes payable.
It depends on individual country rules as to who is actually liable, the exhibition hall, or Bruffies client. Here in the UK, both parties would be, under different schemes.
However, don't get the idea that it's an expensive process, for example, the cost of a UK license to produce up to 500 giveaway copies of the proposed disk would be
£20 PAID UP FRONT.
Steve
But what are the laws where Bruffie is?
Do you feel that you can do it? I mean, and produce something that doesn’t make you cringe?
If so, I’d say go ahead and do it but tell the client that he is responsible for any mechanical copyright involved. If you feel that you can’t do it; I’d say tell the client that and why.
In my view, your artistic integrity isn’t compromised either way.
(By the way, Lennon & McCartney got sued for “Come Together” by Chuck Berry for a [blatant] plagarism of lyrics - it was settled out of court. I’ve never understood why representatives of Arthur Gunter [who wrote “Baby, Let’s Play House”] never sued them for an equally blatant plagarism of lyrics in “Run For Your Life”.
Harrison got sued for [unintentional] use of the melody from “He’s So Fine” - it went to court and Harrison lost; he turned around and bought the rights to “He’s So Fine” so, in effect, he paid the settlement to himself.)
Ah well…Now you’ve got to the crux of the matter Bill. The cringe factor is huge. I will be doing something I will not enjoy and no matter how well I do it, I will never be proud of the result.
Quote: (Bruffie @ Oct. 07 2007, 9:42 AM)
...I will be doing something I will not enjoy and no matter how well I do it, I will never be proud of the result.
Well, in my view then, you have no choice but to decline and tell the client that you can't do it because you cannot imagine being pleased with the results.
If the client possesses any integrity himself, he will respect your position. If he doesn't respect your position then maybe dealing with his company is not really in your best interest - no matter how much it now seems that it is.
Mr. Bruffie, cringe factor. Let’s throw that out the door first off. Your biggest customer, wouldn’t want to whizz in his cornflakes over this. Plus, there might be another musician there hearing the performance, overlooking the song, saying to people around him, “WHO DID THE VOCAL” which in turn leads back to you, in which case he decides he would like to record. You record an original with the person and it becomes a world wide mega hit.
Cringe factor vs. exposer factor. Exposer wins ever time!
I personally would check copyright laws for there, record it, keep customer happy, keep recieving customers money, put on ‘Jakes’ sunglasses and Hat and forget it.
100 years from now no one gives a sh*t, including myself, cause I’ve left this ol world!
Yaz
Quote: (Yaz @ Oct. 08 2007, 11:49 AM)
Mr. Bruffie, cringe factor. Let's throw that out the door first off. Your biggest customer, wouldn't want to whizz in his cornflakes over this. Plus, there might be another musician there hearing the performance, overlooking the song, saying to people around him, "WHO DID THE VOCAL" which in turn leads back to you, in which case he decides he would like to record. You record an original with the person and it becomes a world wide mega hit.
Cringe factor vs. exposer factor. Exposer wins ever time!
I personally would check copyright laws for there, record it, keep customer happy, keep recieving customers money, put on 'Jakes' sunglasses and Hat and forget it.
100 years from now no one gives a sh*t, including myself, cause I've left this ol world!
Yaz
Aah Glasshopper. The wisdom of the elders..
Ok! I ask the clients lawyer to check out local copywrite law, record the song, hand it to client with suitable disclaimer and put on my Blues Bros outfit at the exhibition. Problem solved...
Now..let me think
We are Naffco
We will protect you
We'll keep your family safe from harm,
and care for thier future
It's a dangerous world,
and fire's your enemy
So put your trust in us,
and live carefree....
Scuse me...feeling sick...bibble
“Bibble…” ? From “Barbie: Fairytopia”? 
New music genre
Cringe
Cringe music takes popular standards or even
epic songs and butchers them with puky new
lyrics and/or devolved music.
This CAN be sold.