The Mundling Zone

Thoughts, rants, and raves from the desk of Michelle Mundling

Friday, January 24, 2003

Copyright Warning for Sites with MIDIs





Do these banners make you stop and think about the MIDI files you have on your website? If not, they should, because YOU CAN BE SUED for having them on your website, especially if you don't have permission to use them.

This is NOT a joke. I'm talking lawsuit. It has happened and is still happening right now (and without a "cease and desist" warning) to people who have had MIDI files on their free, personal websites.

Do I have your attention?

Many of the MIDIs floating around the internet have copyrights on them that we may not be aware of. Various MIDI sites have been shut down because the webmasters had copyrighted MIDIs on their sites and had no idea they were violating any laws.

What's worse ...
Ignorance of the law will not protect you!
Putting a "disclaimer" on your site will not protect you!


Before you become the next victim, click on the banners above or the links below and visit these sites. The information contained in them could save you from a financial nightmare.

http://free-the-midi.com
http://apollo.spaceports.com/~midi/

There are numerous legitimate MIDI composers out there who will let you use their MIDIs free of charge in exchange for giving them due credit for their work and/or a link back to their website (if they have one). It does not hurt to write and request permission. This is the only way to put music on your website, honor copyright laws, and avoid civil litigation.

Otherwise, if you have MIDI files posted on your website or in any newsgroups and you don't believe you could be targeted, you'd better think again! How am I so sure? Because a friend of mine is one of the victims of a litigious copyright holder of thousands of MIDIs currently in circulation on the internet.