corrections:
technics have a style conversion facility included free with the top keyboards, for various Roland, Solton, Korg, Gem format styles.
I believe I saw an upgrade disk for the keyboard which includes Yamaha available in Germany.

EMC software has enabled Yamaha conversions for many years now.

The EMC software does not support 6500 format yet. This is because Technics use a proprietry compression format, which makes the floppy 3 to 5 times faster than previous generations. It is this algorithm that I understand Technics has not licensed to them yet. I suspect it may appear after the next keyboard is released.

The point about a style obviously being based upon a song is the most pertinent here.

Do we know for sure that Yamaha has not paid some kind of royalty for this popular style?

Sure, as with technics, the names are cryptic in the database - maybe this is to avoid a royalty?

Likewise intros and endings do not follow the same notes/chords for more than 4 or 5 notes to avoid copyright infringement?

I think this move is purely based on a global downturn in sales, and their worry of losing sales due to the latest styles being available in existing keyboards...

[This message has been edited by technicsplayer (edited 01-29-2002).]