Re: [Harp-L] PFOS song writing contest contract

[Bob Cohen <bob@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Sep 29, 2007, at 10:08 AM, Will Vogtman wrote:

> I knew full well what I signed away.  At this point in my non- 
> existant musical career, I'm looking for any break I can get.  I'm  
> looking for resume material.  I've got a day job I'm looking to get  
> rid of--I've got to start trying somewhere.

This seems like a good idea when you're on the outside looking in.   
But ultimately this is a self-defeating approach.  When you finally  
do get where you want to be, the people writing the checks know there  
are a hundred guys behind you who are just as good or better who will  
give away their work product for free.  That will suppress your fees  
and make it that much more difficult to make a living.  If you  
approached your day job this way, you wouldn't be able to earn a  
living--sort of like most musicians and other creative people.

What is it about the arts that makes it acceptable for people like  
the PFOS producers to ask for free work and reasonable for its  
practitioners to receive little or no pay for their work product?   
This discussion is especially ironic given what PFOS principal Todd  
Slobin does for a living.  He is a lawyer.  http://www.eeoc.net/CM/ 
Custom/bio-Todd-Slobin.asp  Let's say it took you eight hours to  
write, record and produce your song.  Do you think there's any chance  
in the world that his firm would let him take $1 for the eight hours?

Song writers aren't the only people PFOS has done this with.  I  
talked with him a while back about doing the PFOS web site.  He  
expected me to volunteer my work and to relinquish all rights with no  
hope whatsoever of receiving any financial benefit for my efforts.  I  
said no.

Sorry to single out the PFOS people.  I think their project is  
worthy.  But I also think it stinks to expect people who have spent  
years on their craft to give away their work product. But the music  
business is full of stories like this, isn't it?

Bob