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The Old-Time Radio Digest!
Volume 01 : Issue 177
A Part of the [removed]!
ISSN: 1533-9289
Today's Topics:
copyright issues ["Carl Amari" <CAmari@[removed]]
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Date: Thu, 7 Jun 2001 11:39:48 -0400
From: "Carl Amari" <CAmari@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: copyright issues
I read this digest every day and appreciate it and those who subscribe to
it. I've in the past responded to the digest and to people individually.
The reason that I have not posted recently is that quite often it does very
little good to speak my mind. People bend what it is I say depending on if
they are a dealer or if they are just a fan of OTR. People also make up most
of what I am "supposed" to have said. Everything I have to say about the
subject has been said in my open letter. Most notably that RSI controls the
rights to a vast majority of old-time radio series and that I am not
required by law to publish a list of them. The list of shows is proprietary
information. It changes often and any sane businessman does not reveal
trade secrets to competitors. I have no wish, or any right to stop people
from selling shows that are in the public domain. However, I do have the
right to stop those that are selling copyrighted shows that RSI controls.
If anyone reading this chooses to sell old-time radio programs and does not
investigate the status of the rights to those shows, he is doing so at his
own risk. How can I be more clear about that? I do not want to harm anyone
who is not trying to harm RSI. RSI has paid millions of dollars to acquire
and maintain rights to the series it controls and if anyone infringes on
those rights, it is RSI's legal right to stop them. The law does not
require RSI to publish a list of shows and I will not do so for reasons
explained earlier. I spent 20 years of my life and a great deal of money
acquiring exclusive rights to the series RSI controls. I've researched them
in every way imaginable and have flown all over the United States meeting
with rightsholders face-to-face and I do not wish to disclose my business
secrets to my competitors ... neither would any of you if you were me. What
would it matter anyway? In my open letter I listed around ten series (from
the many that we control) including Jack Benny, Red Skelton, Charlie
McCarthy, Duffy's Tavern, Burns & Allen, Life of Riley, Green Hornet, Lone
Ranger and Dragnet. The very people who say they will stop selling the
shows if I were to name RSI's controlled series are still selling all of
these series. I know they continue to sell them even though they know RSI
controls them because it is not hard to find out what bootleggers out there
are doing. It's unfortunate to say (but it's true) that the only thing that
will ever stop bootleggers from selling copyrighted programs is a lawsuit.
For those who keep saying they want me to publish a list, my suggestion is
to do the work ... investigate them for yourself. I liken this situation to
the college student who stayed up all night partying and then tries to copy
off the student who studied all night on the morning of the big test. You
want to know the answers, do the work. And for those who think I am in this
for the money don't know me at all. I created and produce WHEN RADIO WAS
hosted by Stan Freberg. If I caught anyone selling this show I would spend
as much money as it took to stop them. The rightsholders RSI represents
feel the exact same way. Why is this so hard to understand. Maybe because
many of you who "hate" RSI have never created anything. If you had, you'd
feel differently. As an example, Irving Brecher wrote and created THE LIFE
OF RILEY. He has exclusively licensed the program to RSI yet hundreds of
bootleggers are selling THE LIFE OF RILEY and do not pay him a cent. Is
this fair??? If you are reading this and think it's okay, I will never be
able to talk any sense into you, unless I sue you. Then you'll see the
light. If you are reading this and think it is not fair then what is it
that we are fighting about? I only want bootleggers of our controlled
programs to stop selling/broadcasting/downloading them. The owners of the
series want the exact same thing.
Sincerely,
Carl Amari
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End of [removed] Digest V01 Issue #177
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