So much for styles-exchange. Your thoughts on the following sent to a PSR group:


Dear Yamaha Keyboard Users:

Yamaha Corporation appreciates your interest in the use of our
keyboards. We also value your active involvement in the creative use
of our products in this Yahoo! Group Site called Yamaha-PSR-Styles.

While we are pleased with your use of our products, we wish to
express concerns about the ongoing exchange of Style Files owned by
Yamaha. In this Group Site, some Style Files taken directly from
Yamaha keyboards have been posted without any modifications, or in
some cases, with only minimal modifications. Yamaha has spent
considerable time (over 20 years), money and effort in creating its
collection of Style Files, and those Style Files are Yamaha's
valuable assets. As the owner of rights in these Style Files, Yamaha
has the sole and exclusive right to reproduce and distribute them.
While Yamaha welcomes playing your music on our styles, it only
permits reproduction within the scope of personal use. Accordingly,
making Style Files available over the Internet to an indefinite
number of people is clearly outside of Yamaha's contemplation and
consent. Such activities on this Group Site constitute an
infringement of Yamaha's intellectual property rights.

Although certain Yamaha keyboards contain a "copy" feature
that enables users to copy Style Files, this feature has been
developed in order to allow users to save user-developed files and/or
to save original files for backup, both in connection with personal
use. Please note that the owner's manuals to Yamaha keyboard
products expressly state that "unauthorized copying of copyrighted
software for purposes other than the purchaser's personal use is
prohibited." Furthermore, each Style File is embedded with a
copyright notice, e.g., "Yamaha Corp. 2001."

Upon review of this message, please cease (i) copying any Styles
Files from Yamaha's keyboards unless it is for your personal use,
and (ii) posting and downloading any Style Files to and from this or
any other Internet sites, including the archive site named
Spectromagic.com. In addition, we ask that you delete on or before
February 28, 2002 any Style Files you have posted on this or any
other Internet sites, including Spectromagic.com.

Yamaha appreciates your loyalty to our products. Accordingly, we are
considering several methods of making more Style Files available for
use on your Yamaha keyboards such as by permitting you to download
certain popular Style Files for free from the Yamaha's official
website and/or making commercially available reasonably priced Style
Files that will upgrade the styles library on your current Yamaha
keyboards.

Thank you for your attention to this matter. We appreciate your
understanding and hope that you continue to enjoy our keyboards. We
will continue to do what we can to enrich your musical experience
with our products.

Very truly yours,

Yamaha Corporation

yamahastyles@yamahacorp.com



[This message has been edited by cam8neel (edited 01-28-2002).]

I just read this on the Styles group. I responded with some questions I will post it here too. I am curious about the implications Yamaha is making in this letter. There were several sections that bothered me but his area stuck out very loudly and I quote:

> collection of Style Files, and those Style Files are Yamaha's
> valuable assets. As the owner of rights in these Style Files, Yamaha
> has the sole and exclusive right to reproduce and distribute them.
> While Yamaha welcomes playing your music on our styles, it only
> permits reproduction within the scope of personal use.

I understand the copyright issue here. However, have I read this quote from the letter correctly? This seems to say that if you use your keyboard styles for anything other than personal use your are violating the copyright? Does this mean the professional musicians may be violating a copyright law if they use the original (even slightly altered) styles to make money? Or, worse, they record music with these styles and make money off the recording? Just wondering.

While the original styles in their original state are indeed copyright, I can not see how an altered style would be. The sole purpose of the keyboard is to create music using these styles. Why would you buy one if you have limitations? Makes no sense if a company can pick apart a peice of your music and claim copyright infringement. Are ALL Yamaha keyboard styles for personal use only? Not professional? What other manufacturers have restrictions like this? Maybe someone reads this differently than I have. Anyone?

-Linda

Linda, if I am not mistaken, it seems that there is a clear difference between copying/downloading/etc. the actual styles themselves, which are nothing more than 0's and 1's (bits) arranged in a particular sequence to form a style file, and performing/recording/etc. the SOUND (music) produced by USING the style files on a keyboard. Yamaha is discouraging the former activity, but I don't think they are referring to any USE of the styles. Reading the wording carefully,
> While Yamaha welcomes playing your music on our styles, it only
> permits reproduction within the scope of personal use.
it would seem that this is their intent. I sure hope it is . I hope this clears the issue up.

I read Don Masons post on the PSR group forum on Yahoo.........

<<<<<<< forwarded to me and posted on the
Yahoo Groups forum:
I have been a professional user of
Yamaha arranger keyboards since
they were first introduced.
I buy at least one every year, and
currently own three. I also
influence quite a few other buyers. If
this policy is carried out,
please be assured you have received the
last dollar you will ever get
from me and anyone else I can
influence.
It is my belief that the exchange of
styles has sold countless
keyboards for you BECAUSE this exchange
of styles has been available.
Yamaha styles are far from being the best available. I do like the
operating system, but I shall immediately begin researching for my
next purchase from one of the competing companies. (General Music,
Ketron, Roland, Korg--there is much competition for the high-end
keyboard dollar). Some of these companies even make new styles
available for download from their own sites at no charge.
As a last word, I'm sure your efforts will be completely to no avail
anyway. It will be very simple for someone to set up a Napster-
Morpheus like swap situation that would be impossible or impractical
to police. Personally, I'll just buy something else.
Sincerely,
Don Mason>>>>>>>

My feelings excactly, I own and perform
with 2 Yamaha units, but if
needed I will go elsewhere in future
equipment purchases for sure.. I
wonder what started all this? Hmmmmm?



[This message has been edited by Dnj (edited 01-28-2002).]

My question is, being a songwriter, does that mean I can't submit one of my compositions, recorded on my PSR? I am not selling the sounds or styles! Arghhhh!

I agree 100% with Don Mason and I have a new question:
I am a Yamaha B50 owner,keyboard dedicated for brasilian market.The B50 demos songs contains :Corcovado (Antonio Carlos Jobim) and Aquarela do Brasil(Ary Barroso) WITHOUT copyrigt notice...
And Now??????
ChicoBrasil

You tell 'em, Don! What really confuses me is, why would Yamaha do this? It is generally accepted that Yamaha's built-in keyboard styles are not the best styles available in the arranger keyboard universe (which, like are own universe, is continuously expanding). So it follows that people who purchase Yamaha arrangers are not buying them for the strength of the styles. In other words, the styles are NOT the big draw of the keyboards. The only reason I could see for a company to restrict style trading is to encourage people to buy the keyboards rather than obtaining the styles via other venues. Well, if people were looking to buy keyboards for the styles, they'd go to different companies. Yamaha is basically getting tough about what may be their "weakest link". In truth, Yamaha is better off allowing (perhaps encouraging!) style trading, because if people know that they can get any styles they need, they will go ahead and buy the Yamaha keyboards for their many other strengths, knowing that they can use any styles that they want. Just my two cents.

What concerns me is the following:

I own several keyboards including Yamaha keyboards.

Since I am an owner of a Yamaha keyboard, I believe it is very reasonable that:

1) I use yamaha factory styles that were shipped with my keyboard in any public performance or even use it in my own recording and call that recording mine.

2) I transfer some of these styles to another non-yamaha keyboard that I own and perform that style from that keyboard.

3) I create my own styles that are based on the factory styles but with SUFFICIENT modifications to merit an original work of mine. Then I can do with it whatever I want.

As long as Yamaha and all other companies respect the above and do not implement any functionalities that will prevent me from doing the above, I will have no problem with what they say.

I agree that Yamaha factory styles are for those who own the keyboard that has these styles or those who have purchased these styles. But as long as they do not prevent me from copying these styles that I purchased and change them to fit my needs, or port them to another non-yamaha keyboards, I will be happy.

Music is a patrimony of humanity. Yamaha did not invent Cha-cha, nor waltz, nor tango, nor blues, nor, jazz.

What can they mean by only for personal use only? That means you guys are illegal as professionals?

By downloading styles, anyway, I would give them personal use, anyway. No body is selling them or making money.

Too bad if it took them over 20 years due to ineptitude. They should fix their own problems. The money they spent? Where does it come from? Did they invent music? Did they invent the white and black keyboard layout? They use those designs too with permission from no one.

All that is patrimony of humanity. They should be thankful that people likes SOME of the styles that they produce.

Now do they sell individual styles? NOPE. So people are just circunventing that. Yamaha copies the styles from real world musicians too withut their permission.

Any one thinks that they do not 'study' the styles of independent developers too or of their competition?

They are just lookin for free publicity ...

By the way, they are hereby NOT AUTHORIZED to quote me.

Marck,

Your right it does refer to the copying, download etc.

I am not sure the styles are even a seperate entity here. I look at the styles on the keyboard as I do an MS Word Template. I use MS Word Templets to create all kinds of documents. Microsoft doesn't restrict us from copying them or downlaoding them! Its part of the program! I can even convert other documents from other software companies to use with MS Word.

The files are only good if you have the proper OS software to run them. The OS is on the keyboard. Its not something that is copied to play or use on anything other than a keyboard. Its not like the average Joe would want them unless they had an appropriate keyboard to use them on. They won't work in my portable CD player! NO !wait, we could record them as MP3's!!

So I ask...why is Yamaha restricting copying and downloading them? They already give you permission to play them however you want and manipuate them so what is the purpose of copy restrictions? This has no damages involved in it that I can see? Or are they trying to tell us something else?

This really puzzles me as you can see ha-ha

-Linda