A word about free downloads. Yes its really cool that people are offering downloads for free. We really enjoy to download old LPs and singles. Many of the stuff is already out of copyright. As you can see on our blogspot site, we are offering downloads from out of copyright / public domain stuff too. Thats cool.
Its not cool to offer free downloads from stuff that you dont own. Thats illegal. We at Rhythm Bomb care for our artists and need to SELL CDs to cover our cost. Thats the game. No money - no new music.
Since last year we have a zero tolerance strategy. We are reporting EVERY illegal download from stuff that is owned by us or our bands.
If you want to support your favourite bands, go to their gigs and buy a CD.
Here are some Dos and Donts about downloads:
Cool:
- rip your old 45s and put them online for download
- open a blog and share your collection to other music lovers
- promote bands, put flyer online, promote their gigs
- go to their gigs, drink some beer and buy their CDs
- care about other peoples rights
Uncool:
- upload albums without asking for permission
- upload the full high rez artwork (this is copyrighted too)
- make money with the stolen rights (bootlegs, CD-Rs, donations)
Here is what is legal in the EU: all recordings prior 1957 are free of copyright (public domain). You can use them, burn them on CD, sell them. All recordings that are at least 50 years old and have been released 50 years ago can be used too. Its legal to overdub them from the original format. Its not legal to copy them from a Bear Family box set. So you need to own the original format (vinyl). Its not legal to use recordings and artwork that is younger than 50 years, except you are asking the owner for permission.
To make it clear - if you offer illeagal downloads, records companies might take you to court and this will cost you a lot of $$$. Thats really not worth to try it.
Irish high court decision on illegal filesharing
New UK anti piracy law
Poland: Suspected uploader caught red-handed by police
