OK, here's a question. Stevie Ray Vaughn made a song out of "Mary Had a Little Lamb." It's a nursery rhyme that has long been in the public domain so I'm assuming that he didn't have to pay any ASCAP fees for it. So what I if record my version of Mary Had a Little Lamb? Not the same licks as SRV but also a blues version with more traditional blues licks. Would I have to pay because SRV had used the same lyrics that were in the public domain?
What you don't understand or chose to ignore is that amounts under $3,000 can be settled in small claims court without an attorney and for a filing fee of about $100. That is in Louisiana. the limit is a lot higher than 3K in many states. What you both ignore is that the PRO fees are negligible for most businesses. it is not that much money. The courts have ruled it fair. If a mom and pop business is too small to afford them, they are overreaching for their means and shouldn't be holding concerts.
Of course not. Copyright laws only apply to copyrighted material. Public domain material owes no royalties to anybody.
The Donald says he paid for and obtained legal right to use the song. Oh, and Neil Young says he supports Bernie Sanders. One more thing to add to the list.
apologize if this one's been mentioned but the funniest examples were using pink houses or born in the usa as a campaign song. idiot politicians. makes me want to right a song about elderly abuse or something and give it a patriotic title and chorus.
