BBC In Trouble Over Free Music

Take a Byte Out of Crime writes "According to this article, British classical labels are claiming that the BBC giving away the these symphonies, which were performed by the BBC Orchestra for free, constitutes unfair government competition. Apparently all free music really is illegal these days, or soon will be, public domain be damned."

Comments

I'm confused, what exactly does copyright mean?

[mister_llah]

Is it for the protection of the original ideas?

Or the protection of individual performances?

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Can you play only public domain songs, sell it, and then have people trading your performances withouit purchasing them be pirates?

Does anyone know?

[I legitemately don't but would like to]

Re:The next logical step

[Anonymous Coward]

Won't wash. I pay the BBC about $100 a year; if I forget, they come and detect my TV and take me to court. So, it's not like the Government is paying these musicians.

I think it is brilliant that the BBC are using my money to hire musicians, play Beethoven, and give the result to the whole world for free.

Re:Lets ask Beethoven

[XanC]

"There ought to be but one large art warehouse in the world, to which the artist could carry his art-works, and from which he could carry away whatever he needed. As it is, one must be half a tradesman." -- Ludwig van Beethoven, January, 1801

Sorry, bollocks

[panurge]

News International (part of the Murdoch empire) avoids UK taxes and has done for many years. In fact, they are effectively being subsidised by the UK taxpayer.

And, as for tough competition, last time I looked The Guardian, a small circulation not for profit UK newspaper, had a website which has more page views than most of the rest of the UK newspaper industry put together, and competes with the BBC given far less resources. The truth is, Murdoch, Rothermere and Sullivan between them have reduced the UK newspaper industry to such low grade sensationalist crap that they cannot compete with anybody who does a half decent job, at least where the audience who can read and write are concerned.