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Musicians with PDA’s? Not Likely.

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This may be an unjustified stereotype, but I don’t think so. Musicians, on the whole, are not good with paperwork. Not good with administrative activities. Not good with record keeping. Which is really ironic because recording and selling music is one of the more detail/paperwork/administratively cumbersome business activities we have in this country. I’m convinced that the rallying cry “music just wants to be free” is not about copyright or left or record companies or internet companies or anything else like that - it’s simply a cry to be freed from the oppressive burden of paperwork associated with selling music.

I bring this up because of this story about a former member of the Ramones who is suing for royalties from digital sales of songs to which he owned the rights. I’m guessing that the fact he was left out of the money was less about intent to cut him out and more about simply forgetting he had anything to do with it that would require his participation and consent. The Ramones released over 20 albums, each with 12 or more songs on it - that’s a lot of detail to keep up with.

PDA’s, anyone?


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