Dear people,
the topic is drifting off. Let me reiterate:
free music is about FREEDOM,
free music not about cost.
Right now, if I have a groovy CD, good sheet music, or a modern
composition for french horn, I can not share it with my friends, since
that would infringe on the composer's copyright.
Any kind of music where you need to ask explicit permission or pay
royalties to perform or distribute the music is not free music: it
restricts the freedom of the user of the music.
If you want royalties, then there are numerous other channels you can
use. You can set up your own website where you define the licensing
yourself. You make a deal with mp3.com. Or just get a contract with a
traditional publisher.
On the other hand, a license which -- for example -- (only) forces me
to give credit to the composer, editor or publisher is free. I can
share it with my friends and perform it for an audience.
On the practical side, you can also just forget about royalties. If
they are voluntary, you
A. Won't get them, because they are voluntary
B. Make the people that use the music (and don't pay) feel bad about
themselves.
If they are not voluntary, it would be so impractical that no one
would want to use it: writing down a requirement in the license is
easy. Then you have to figure out how to let people pay, how you keep
an administration, how to litigate if someone doesn't pay, etc.
This is the reason why there are special music copyright agencies
(eg. the Dutch BUMA/STEMRA). If you want royalties, you will want to
use the traditional channels for music distribution anyway
[Disclaimer: I Am Not A Professional Musician]
In any case, music that require payment for should not be in a free
music archive.
Summarising my points:
* I want mutopia to be a place where you can get music that you can
share.
* Do not put in any monetary restrictions. They are immoral (freedom
to share) and impractical
* We definitely want to preserve credits of composer (and editor if
applicable) when the files or copies are transmitted, printed,
performed, arranged etc.
PS. Is there an english word for "Urtext"?
--
Han-Wen Nienhuys, [EMAIL PROTECTED] ** GNU LilyPond - The Music Typesetter
http://www.cs.uu.nl/people/hanwen/lilypond/index.html
