[swervedriver]

Years ago, a lawyer advised me NOT to listen to or accept any demos. For that very reason...

I have a friend (remaining nameless who was sued by someone who said that he stole a song from a demo that he gave to him at one of his concerts. He very truly didn't, but really...specifically with simple progressions, it's fairly likely that people stumble across similar passages by accident. The lawsuit never amounted to anything, but it was a hassle.

So unfortunately, I haven't really listened to a demo in 12 years or more. Sometimes it's unavoidable, or I've known someone for long enough that I'll check out their website or whatever, but no...I don't listen to demos.

I accept them from people, because I rarely have the time to explain the legal thing to people, but under advice from my friend and my lawyer, I don't listen. I used to make a point of saying that on the website, but some people 'wouldn't take no for an answer' or what have you, and it ended up being constant explaining.

The whole Coldplay / Satriani thing was crazy too... a very simple progression that Satriani think they stole. I know Joe, and he's a total sweetheart, but when I heard the two songs even in THAT scenario, I couldn't help but think it was coincidence.

Sucks though. Don't want people to think they're being taken advantage of.

Good thing I didn't give you a demo but an official release then.

The whole Coldplay / Satriani thing was crazy too... a very simple progression that Satriani think they stole. I know Joe, and he's a total sweetheart, but when I heard the two songs even in THAT scenario, I couldn't help but think it was coincidence.

I think the problem with Coldplay was that they were apparently VERY vocal about how much they 'borrowed' from other songs. It was only a matter of time before someone held them to account. Having said that I was surprised to see an artist of such stature suing another artist of similar stature. Look at the amount of riffs Metallica borrowed or inadvertently used and nobody has gone near them - and they seem more complex.

Ironically here's some old Satriani piece pretty identical to a song off Metallica's previous album - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1KKnVFlhkP8

Although here's Metallica's most blatant rip-off that they used in Welcome Home Sanitarium - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4F0skwb__A

And here's a quote that James Hetfield said regarding the above song - "......I went singing it in the studio, I remember Flemming [Rassmussen] looking at me like, "You're kidding." I said "Shit, I don't know if I can do this!" So I ended up singing it lower than I intended, but we put a higher harmony on it and it worked pretty well. The riff for that song was lifted from some other band, who shall remain anonymous". (GuitarWorld issue of '91)

[Octillus]

All I have to say is that I saw his myspace and that there were only 100 listens total on that particular song. How many of those were him, himself and his friends that he said had the song stolen by Dev?

Obviously Feather opens similarly to Ih-Ah, but it VERY VERY quickly becomes different.

So I say meh, and I say meh to people who are attention seeking/gratification seeking.

[The Dev]

To be fair, the dude wasn't being a dink about it at all, just asking... he was totally cool.

I like this though

est solution:

Next time someone shoves a CD under your nose, point at them and shout

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

nice...

I do it to market researchers. It works every time.

To be fair, the dude wasn't being a dink about it at all, just asking... he was totally cool.

I like this though

est solution:

Next time someone shoves a CD under your nose, point at them and shout

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

nice...

I don't know where to post this with all these different subforums but happy birthday brah! Have a good one.

Years ago, a lawyer advised me NOT to listen to or accept any demos. For that very reason...

I have a friend (remaining nameless who was sued by someone who said that he stole a song from a demo that he gave to him at one of his concerts. He very truly didn't, but really...specifically with simple progressions, it's fairly likely that people stumble across similar passages by accident. The lawsuit never amounted to anything, but it was a hassle.

So unfortunately, I haven't really listened to a demo in 12 years or more. Sometimes it's unavoidable, or I've known someone for long enough that I'll check out their website or whatever, but no...I don't listen to demos.

I accept them from people, because I rarely have the time to explain the legal thing to people, but under advice from my friend and my lawyer, I don't listen. I used to make a point of saying that on the website, but some people 'wouldn't take no for an answer' or what have you, and it ended up being constant explaining.

The whole Coldplay / Satriani thing was crazy too... a very simple progression that Satriani think they stole. I know Joe, and he's a total sweetheart, but when I heard the two songs even in THAT scenario, I couldn't help but think it was coincidence.

Sucks though. Don't want people to think they're being taken advantage of.

Hey Dev! Check out my demo please!!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FdXJ8v9fOt0&NR=1

The whole Coldplay / Satriani thing was crazy too... a very simple progression that Satriani think they stole. I know Joe, and he's a total sweetheart, but when I heard the two songs even in THAT scenario, I couldn't help but think it was coincidence.

I won't buy any more Satriani products or go to anymore of his shows after that grubby, money grabbing debacle (would he have sued an artist making a lot less money than Coldplay? I doubt it...)

The best (or worst, depending on your POV) part of it was the slew of songs that emerged pre-dating Satriani's song that sounded more like his song than Coldplay's song sounded like his.

Hey Dev, what if I gave you a demo, but included with it a handwritten note saying I will never in any way sue or take legal action
against you along with a photo of me holding the note along with a newspaper?

Yes, I just sit around trying to think of loop holes through stuff like this.

People borrow music subconsciously, in fact being influenced by a band can result in it and you'll never now. Take Led Zeppelin, how many claims of stolen riffs have people thrown at them over the years but has any one ever really questioned their musical integrity? Pretty hard to do with a straight face. Its a risk of the music industry and people should just learn to with it, anyone who gets in a huff about it is just worried that that amazing riff or song they wrote was never theirs in the first place, when it most probably is.

To be fair, the dude wasn't being a dink about it at all, just asking... he was totally cool.

I like this though

est solution:

Next time someone shoves a CD under your nose, point at them and shout

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

nice...

I don't know where to post this with all these different subforums but happy birthday brah! Have a good one.

Here viewtopic.php?f=49&t=10162

People borrow music subconsciously, in fact being influenced by a band can result in it and you'll never now. Take Led Zeppelin, how many claims of stolen riffs have people thrown at them over the years but has any one ever really questioned their musical integrity? Pretty hard to do with a straight face. Its a risk of the music industry and people should just learn to with it, anyone who gets in a huff about it is just worried that that amazing riff or song they wrote was never theirs in the first place, when it most probably is.

I'll do it with a straight face, and do so frequently.

Then unlucky for you

Yo know, we live in this age where everything is copyrighted, everyone thinks someone else is ripping them off because everyone owns a piece of everything. Therefore, as original as you are being without any intent of ripping someone off someone is inevitably going to jump up and scream YOU RIPPED ME OFF YOU RIPPED ME OFF! I heard the song from the guy's song who said Dev was ripping him off (twitter stalking haha) and I agree Devin, I think it sounds very much like Ih-ah. In this day and age everything crosses over, like the album cover. I'm positive there's no intended cross over there but it happens, like in everything. So many things have been done its impossible not to do that. That's why I think our thinking about "ripping off" or "copyright" should change. I mean, if you look at fine art movements throughout history if they lived today everyone would be throwing out the "ripped off" card. What it was was influence, or just coincidence, and they made great art that sometimes crossed over.
Anyway, my two cents, and I don't think you are Dev, but don't let any of that get to you. It's stupid.

So unfortunately, I haven't really listened to a demo in 12 years or more. Sometimes it's unavoidable, or I've known someone for long enough that I'll check out their website or whatever, but no...I don't listen to demos.

I accept them from people, because I rarely have the time to explain the legal thing to people, but under advice from my friend and my lawyer, I don't listen. I used to make a point of saying that on the website, but some people 'wouldn't take no for an answer' or what have you, and it ended up being constant explaining.

Oh well ._. At least you have +1 plastic cd case