'DVD Jon' to seek compensation

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Money loss to whom?

Music artists and programmers, for the most part, work for a label or company. Part of the contract concerning employment usually have a clause that gives the organization the rights to the artist's or programmer's "intellectual property."

So whether you write a great song or piece of software, 9 times out of 10 you will never see a royalty check. Music is worse because they hit you with so many up-fronts that even with a royalty clause, you may never see a cent from that single that went triple-platinum.

It's the corporate world's dirty little secret-as long as it loses money on paper, they don't pay. "Lord of the Rings" made over $1B dollars over the life of the trilogy. Now, Peter Jackson could have cooked the books a bit (he didn't) to keep from paying his investors and would have gotten away with it. This practice was even a punchline in "All That Jazz" (may be before your time-Broadway director dying during rehearsal for a new show, financing done in such a way that even if the show doesn't open, it would make a profit...)

The artist and programmer were never meant to be parts in the money machine beyond supplying the original fuel. That's why so many artists tour into their golden years or license their material for car commercials and the like-it's the only way to make a living.

Posted by: AbsolutelyNot   Posted on: 01/28/04 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use

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