Yes I am with KF and Diki on this Mike.

As I have posted in other forums, you cannot copyright a chord progression as such. Just melody and lyrics.

As far as I know all styles are just chord progressions, with no melody to speak of.

Therefore no matter what device they were played on, or what purpose they were used for, they would not eb subject to copyright.

Dennis

If you read steve's post carefully...I think it answers all questions.

'in any way we wish' pretty well says it all.

Lee

I thought about that, But aren't Film Arrangements copyrighted? In either case I am sure I can record a Multi Platinum seller with the T3 and not worry about Yamaha suing...In fact I suspect I would get an endorsement deal.......ya think?

Film MUSIC is copyright, but the arrangement? There's a long history of taking hit music, or film scoring styles, and applying them to new music, and no-one gets sued...

You can't copyright a beat, or a way of voicing the strings, etc.. Only the music itself has protection, AFAIK.

Anyone remember when John Fogerty got sued for plagiarizing HIMSELF..??!! Some record company owned the old CCR back catalog, and sued him (I think it was for 'Old Man Down the Road', but not sure) for writing something similar to what he had already written!

You gotta love lawyers!

You are right if I IV V progressions and I VIm IIm V could only be used in one song each. 100,000 songs would have never hit the airwaves. 12 tones does not lend to a whole lot of originality.

You're kidding, right? That statement is so......weird, I can't believe it came from a musician. I'm sure you were just trying to make some kind of point......right?

chas

KF,

Film arrangements/scores usually have a melody/counter melody associated with the chord structure.

Therefore subject to copyright, BUT it is still only the melody that cannot be used. If you just took the underlying chord progressions there would be no infringement.

On pretty much all of the arranger patterns there is no melody to speak of. I woudl suspect that if stretched, the C. law COULD apply to those intros/endings that have a melody line included, but I would doubt whether it would stand up in the real world.

Dennis

I'm not a musician...Im a "mathematician". LOL
IN my opinion There isn't much original music being composed, at least I am not hearing any. Please send me a link to where I can be pleasantly surprised. And with the "theoretical rules" imposed the opportunities for palatable original music are even less. But then again people call RAP and repetitive loop based award winning music original. IN that regard I stand corrected.

A good indicator is the fact that 67 year old guys like Neil Diamond and the Rolling Stones are STILL seeling out hige Arenas....along with Hanna Montana of course and the orifinal material the American Idols produce.

When I was 20 their was NO act that could sell out a cross country tour in 30,000 seat arenas over 30 years old. Not even Elvis who was relegated to a showroom in Las Vegas for years. Today people like Jackson Brown are seeing the dearth of original music and a cry for the past and setting up tours!!

Frankie Avalon,Frankie Lane, the Andrew Sister and other mega acts were not touring even in the 60's any more. Today we have 60 years olds playing the same old song.

I stand by my comment. People have run out of exciting things to commercially do with 12 tones. PLEASE prove otherwise. People want to hear Margarita ville and Sweet Caroline STILL...

Thanks that clears things up. I have always thought only Melody and Lyric can be protected (and apparently titles in Japan)

I believe the odds of anyone on this forum being sued for copyright infringement for using a style file to create a song, is equal to being struck by lightning at the stroke of midnight next NYE in Time Square, NY.

Happy New Year,

Gary