Robert Fripp's Diary

Bredonborough The first day of

09.04

Bredonborough.

The first day of spring I…

II…

III…

youtube and copyright:: Posted by richardrj on March 20, 2007

From Robert’s diary, March 14:"I have granted no copyright licenses to Google/YouTube for any of the KC/RF material that can be found there; and neither have I been approached to grant such licenses."

Perhaps this is because Robert is not the copyright holder of the KC/RF material therein?Richard

Incorrect. RF owns/controls the copyrights on all KC/RF material & acts on behalf of the Greater Crim.

However, very few artists own/control their own catalogue. So, the likelihood of these artists’ catalogues being accessed / used without the artists’ permission, is much higher. Where the artist doesn’t / can’t act, it falls to the copyright owner to do so; unless they have a major investment to protect (eg Viacom) why would they? And, if they did act to protect a copyrighted catalogue, what remedies might there be? A greater share of advertising revenue, shares in Google/YouTube? And how much of this would be allocated to artists is a moot question, and one on which I’d hazard an educated guess.

about them pesky touring questions:: Posted by kbrunkhorst on March 20, 2007

RF is a grownup, and should do what makes him happy, like taking pictures, showing people his library, etc.

The Pursuit of Happiness is not high on my To Do list. Seeking happiness, as an end in itself, comes with an equal & inevitable supply of unhappiness. But seeking Rightness, honouring obligations & following our passion, may eventually lead to happiness as a fortunate by-product: Happiness With Minimal Side Effects, as it were.

Currently, dealing with the repercussions of living the lives of two exceptionally busy men, is a large part of my present activities. Along with having fun, taking pictures, showing people my library, that is.

Happiness is an outcome of living rightly, not the result of seeking happiness, it seems to me.

itzed2u is right!:: Posted by albemuth on March 20, 2007

I was happy to read itzed2u’s post which makes perfect sense.  I would say that youtube.com has increased my interest in new bands and significantly increased my purchasing of CD’s and DVD’s (over my wife’s objections and my own good sense)…

I do not understand Fripp’s position on the issue.  I cannot imagine that youtube has reduced either interest in King Crimson or business at DGM.  Perhaps someone can explain this to me.  If so, please stay away from abstract concepts regarding property and artist’s moral rights.  I understand these ideas in theory…

These are not theoretical concerns for me. When any site uses KC/RF material to further their own interests, the aim is to further their own interests. Cf yesterday’s Diary comments.

My interest here: what is the aim of YouTube? If the aim of YouTube is to bring KC music to a new, wider, broader audience, by accessing KC copyright material without permission – we have one conversation. If the aim of YouTube is to drive the interests & income stream of the site by using KC copyright material without permission, we have another conversation.

To claim that copyright holders’ interests are being respected is clearly not the case. The distance between what is claimed & what I actual is so great the hypocrisy makes my nose turn.

18.12  This morning: some adventuring into parts of Bredonborough that have hitherto been unvisited: the covered market & its book stall.

This afternoon: e-frenzy. The demands of the catalogue, mastering & re-mastering, selecting downloads / projects, pursuing unpaid royalties, dealing with infringements, are so time-demanding that a life on the road, however appealing that might be (the appeal is music that needs to be played), is currently unsupportable. So many repercussions of two busy lives to be handled. If I were to die tomorrow, the executors of my estate & settlers of my unsettled affairs would have an impossible mess to sort, order, organize & put to rest. If I am able to achieve this myself within the next 2-3 years, I can fly away clean. Alternatively, put my attention on more creative matters. Even, earn a living.