[vdubreeze]

Bill,

Start a new thread if you want to rant more about BMI. This is way
OT.

But just to clear up some of your misstatements:



I know that any song written after 1927 (84 years ago) can't be played by
anybody in any establishment that makes any money selling anything to any
customers. This is what I am "talking about".

??? You're leaving out the entire issue. If an establishment pays a
set nominal fee they can play anything they want. If they insist they
deserve the world for nothing (and maybe they're paying you nothing
when you should be getting $300) they should try that with the AC
installer. I guess you're saying that music, including your own,
isn't worth paying for, but I've never been in that camp, as a player
or as a business owner.


I write a song, and want that song to be protected. So I join BMI and pay
them dues to protect it for me, then I would agree with you. but that's not
what's going on.


??? You don't pay any dues as a writer to be a BMI member, Bill.
In fact, I don't think they have ANY dues except if you set up a
publishing company for them to deal with, and that is the grand sum of
a $150 one time fee. I'm a BMI member and I've never paid anything
besides that fee 25 years ago.

They bought the right to hasstle people over all songs
written after 1927. And, the burden of proof is on you, and not BMI to prove
that the song was written before then. IOW, all music written after 1927 is
the property of BMI and they can hassle people who perform it anywhere that
money changes hands for any reason. And you are happy with that?

Ay yi yi. Let's take this elsewhere, Bill. But, and pardon the all
caps, BMI DOES NOT OWN ANYTHING!!! EVER!!! THEY DON'T OWN MUSIC
BEFORE, AFTER OR DURING 1927!!!!!! The song owners own them!! The
writers!! The publishers!!! The songwriters who self publish!!!
That's not even close enough to be an Urban Myth! : )

You're on Bizarro world with this one : ) But please start a
new thread for further fun misfacts.

v