Old concert recordings for free (and legal)

Immanuel · Post by **Immanuel** » Tue Feb 27, 2007 11:47 pm

http://concerts.wolfgangsvault.com/
They actually pay royalties, when you listen for free.

When I started to go through these recordings, it struck me that I found something wich I had been missing in contemporary music without even realizing it. In a way, it was like comming home, and it has been a huge inspiration for me.

Ben Walker · Post by **Ben Walker** » Wed Feb 28, 2007 1:17 am

Very nice site. Lovely archive of posters, tickets, etc as well.
If I had $9,555 I would buy this
http://www.wolfgangsvault.com/CatalogDe ... b06372a010

Ben

astroman · Post by **astroman** » Wed Feb 28, 2007 9:08 am

very cool site - lots of 'ultimate' birthsday presents, for those who survived the years...

this one has a funny story

cheers, Tom

braincell · Post by **braincell** » Wed Feb 28, 2007 12:42 pm

The artists are not getting paid and the legality is in question:

http://www-gatago.com/rec/music/gdead/43504831.html

Immanuel · Post by **Immanuel** » Wed Feb 28, 2007 12:51 pm

astroman · Post by **astroman** » Wed Feb 28, 2007 1:53 pm

..."Sagan simply doesn't have the legal rights to exploit and profit from
the extraordinary success of these musicians," Jeff Reeves, who
represents the artists, said in a statement....

well, even without being an expert on legal affairs one can tell that this statement is just BS
the 'extraordinary success' doesn't matter at all, the only thing that matters is the respective contract(s) Graham made with the artists.
If such contracts included statements like 'the right to exploit of the performance in whatever way, present and future...', a not-so-uncommon and frequently overlooked smallprint, the owner of the site is perfectly right.

he legally aquired the material and can use it in any legal way
the stuff isn't 'pirated', wasn't recorded without notice of the artists and the $5 million deal probably was checked by attorneys thoroughly (therefore my guess that a smallprint exists)...

cheers, Tom

braincell · Post by **braincell** » Thu Mar 01, 2007 2:59 am

I don't know the details of their so called contract but in any event, I would prefer not to download music if the authors don't want me to. As an artist who lost control of some of his music, I can understand how horrible the feeling it.

astroman · Post by **astroman** » Thu Mar 01, 2007 3:36 am

oops, looks like it's not the concert recordings the lawsuit is about...

...Dec. 18 (Bloomberg) -- Members of the Grateful Dead and Led Zeppelin sued the operator of Web site Wolfgang's Vault for copyright violations, saying concert memorabilia and recordings were being reproduced and sold without permission.

The artists, who also include Carlos Santana and members of the Doors, claim that site operator William Sagan bought the archives of rock promoter Bill Graham after his death in 1991, according to a copy of the complaint supplied by the plaintiff's lawyers, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP. The complaint was filed in U.S. District Court in San Francisco, Gibson attorney Ashlie Beringer, who is based in Denver, said in an interview today.

Sagan, contacted by telephone, said he wasn't aware of the lawsuit and declined to comment.

Graham's archives contained promotional items and personal memorabilia, such as concert posters and T-shirts, that weren't authorized for sale, Gibson, Dunn said in a statement. The complaint alleges that Sagan sold items including baby clothing and wrapping paper bearing the names, voices, likenesses, photos and trademarks of the artists.

After Graham's death, his estate sold his memorabilia to SFX Entertainment, which was later acquired by Clear Channel Communications Inc. According to the complaint, Sagan acquired the archives from Clear Channel. Sagan is based in Minnesota and once owned a medical claims-adjustment company, the complaint said.

Plaintiffs include Jimmy Page, Robert Plant and John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin, Grateful Dead Productions, Santana's company Cadenstansa LLC, Ray Manzarek, Robby Krieger and John Densmore of the Doors, and George Morrison and Pearl Courson, who represent the intellectual property rights of late Doors singer Jim Morrison.

The lawsuit is Grateful Dead Productions, Cadenstansa LLC et al v. William E. Sagan, Norton LLC and Bill Graham Archives LLC, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California (San Francisco), 06-7727.

To contact the reporter on this: Don Jeffrey in New York at +1- djeffrey1@bloomberg.net .
Last Updated: December 18, 2006 18:05 EST