Burning Karaoke CD+G's Or Computer Karaoke : eBay Guides

   This guide is for karaoke hosts and club owners who hire them. At-home enthusiasts are welcome to read it too, but understand that the laws surrounding the topic are for people who make money from karaoke.

   I will start with the bottom line and then explain my statement throughout the rest of this guide.

Bottom line: Burning "back-up" copies of CDG's for use during a paid show or ripping your CDG's into a computer for use during a paid show is ILLEGAL. If you make money on a copyrighted work, you MUST USE THE ORIGINAL DISC.

   Okay...I just heard thousands of karaoke hosts who burn their stuff shouting at the computer screen that they know the law and "fair use" dictates that they are allowed to burn their discs to protect their investment. WRONG!!! Read the U.S., Canadian AND British copyright laws. You are allowed to archive your library under certain circumstances but the law states that UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES ARE YOU ALLOWED TO USE A COPY OF A COPYRIGHTED WORK FOR COMMERCIAL GAIN. That means ONLY the original CD+G can be used for a commercial venture (like a karaoke show). That is the part everyone tends to leave out when they are trying to use the copyright laws to justify their illegal behavior.

   "Fair use" allows libraries, schools, students and the like to copy copyrighted work for archival purposes, study and, at times, parody. But NOWHERE in the law are allowances made for backing up your karaoke library (or, if you are a DJ, your CD library. Same thing. IT'S ILLEGAL). Karaoke hosts say, "I bought the disc, I should be able to protect my investment." I agree, but I didn't write the law. I understand how frustrating it is when you have to replace a scratched disc, especially if the manufacturer has gone out of business (for example: DKKaraoke). But, in my opinion, if karaoke hosts weren't illegally downloading and burning CD+G's, some of the manufacturers who went bankrupt would still be in business.

   Purchasing and replacing disc is part the "cost of doing business" as a karaoke host. Let me give an example of the "cost of doing business." If you run a shipping company that uses shipping vans, there are certain things you KNOW you will have to replace. Gas, oil, windshield wiper fluid, tires - all of these things are needed to run your business. If the tires on your shipping van wear down, do new tires simply appear out of thin air? Can you just copy the tires? No. You have to replace them. It's normal wear and tear for that business. You buy new tires and go on about your business. Think of karaoke CD+G's as the tires of a karaoke-mobile. Without them, you have no business and they are not going to be free. If through the wear and tear put on the discs during shows happens to damage or wear out a disc, you have to buy a new one. If you don't want to put money back into your company, you probably shouldn't be in business.

   Legitimate karaoke manufacturers lose millions each year because of peer to peer sharing of karaoke discs, illegally burning or ripping one CD+G into multiple karaoke systems and illegally backing up discs instead of replacing them. Unfortunately, this illegal activity is only hurting the karaoke industry as a whole. Legitimate karaoke hosts can't charge what a show is truly worth because there is always someone willing to do the show $50 cheaper with burned discs. Also, when new music is available, legitimate hosts cannot afford to update their selections as often as they should because they are not being paid a fair price for their shows.

   Example: I know one host who only runs three shows a week. Because of all of the illegal companies around, he can only charge $100 per show or someone else will come in and underbid him. He HAS to have another job to pay bills because the roughly $220 he makes, after taxes, for his shows usually goes to buying discs and not paying his bills. He could be like all of the other hosts in town and download free karaoke music and have a better library and relatively little overhead, but, and here's the catch, if he gets caught and prosecuted, it can be hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines AND a felony on his record AND a felony charge against the bar's liquor license.

   Now, honestly, the chances a host will be caught and prosecuted are slim because of the expense involved for the copyright holder of the disc, but, three major karaoke manufacturers have formed a coalition to do just that - find and prosecute karaoke hosts that are running illegal systems.

   If you are a karaoke host, I strongly urge you to keep it legal. Buy ONLY original karaoke CD+G's for use at your shows. There are literally thousands of great deals on eBay for legitimate karaoke discs. If you are having problems competing with illegal companies, TURN THEM IN! Call Sound Choice or Chartbuster. In the long run, you will be helping out the entire karaoke industry as well as yourself. The Karaoke Anti-Piracy Agency or KAPA is a great place to start if you are unsure where to go for help. You can view their webpage at karaokeantipiracyagency.com where you will find helpful information about disc burning and downloading as well as links to the U.S. Copyright laws and the addresses of karaoke manufacturers.

   Club owners, I strongly urge you to hire only legitimate karaoke hosts. If your host is using illegal discs in your club and they get caught, you will proabably lose your liquor license. You can claim you didn't know they were illegal, but ignorance is no excuse for breaking the law. If you only hire legal karaoke companies, you will not only be protecting your club but you will probably get a better show because you will have someone who genuinely cares about their shows, not just someone out to make a buck.

   eBayers, if someone sells you an illegal disc, turn them in to the manufacturer of the disc or to eBay. If you like karaoke, lets work together to make it better.

   I hope you all find this guide helpful. Thanks for taking the time to read it. Happy singing!!