A quick google search turned this up....hmmm.....one of the most important songs in US history was based on a tune in the public domain, whooda thunk it.....

http://www.ksu.edu/english/nelp/american.studies.s98/we.shall.overcome.html

We Shall Overcome

Lyrics derived from Charles Tindley's gospel song "I'll Overcome Some Day" (1900), and opening and closing melody from the 19th-century spiritual "No More Auction Block for Me" (a song that dates to before the Civil War). According to Professor Donnell King of Pellissippi State Technical Community College (in Knoxville, Tenn.), "We Shall Overcome" was adapted from these gospel songs by "Guy Carawan, Candy Carawan, and a couple of other people (Pete Seger was one) associated with the Highlander Research and Education Center, currently located near Knoxville, Tennessee. I have in my possession copies of the lyrics that include a brief history of the song, and a notation that royalties from the song go to support the Highlander Center."

http://www.appleseedrec.com/petecd/bruce.html

"This song was originally one of two African American Spirituals: I'll Overcome Some Day or I'll be All Right. In 1946, several hundred employees of the American Tobacco Company in Charleston, South Carolina were on strike. They sang on the picket line to keep their spirits. Lucille Simmons started singing the song on the picket line and changed one important word from "I" to "we". Zilphia Horton learned it when a group of strikers visited the Highland Fold School, the Labor Education Center in Tennessee. She taught it to me and we published it as WE SHALL OVERCOME in our songletter, People's Songs Bulletin. in 1952, I taught it to Guy Carawan and Frank Hamilton. Guy introduced the song to the founding convention of SNCC (student non-violent Coordinating Committee) in North Carolina. It swept the country. -PETE SEEGER

But if things are put in the public domain then everone can listen to it, and do whatever they want with it. And not have to pay anyone to do it! The world would spiral down into some sort of creative revolution. Why would anyone want that. Support the RIAA!! They know all! What is that old saying? Ah yes: "Money is the root of all evil". I guess people have kinda forgotten that one.

"But if things are put in the public domain then everone can listen to it, and do whatever they want with it. And not have to pay anyone to do it! The world would spiral down into some sort of creative revolution."

W.R.O.N.G.

Money may be the "root of all evil", but it's also what makes the world go round. If no one got paid for making music, there would be no music. Yes, there are musicians out there doing what they do solely because they love it, with complete disregard for financial gain, this is true. But face the facts, without money, music production would cease to exist. Why? Simple. It costs money to make music. No money = no music.

No faded, LOVE of money is the root of all evil. Tho misquoted, you're in the ballpark. These jagoffs at the RIAA do love money, and they are evil.
ttmmm

I knew i was missing that part of it, but i couldent rember it, so i just went with the mis-quote.

The majority of musicians dont do it for fiancial gain. Your just aware of the ones who do, because they have "hit it big". You forget about all the bands, and musicians out there that play at small clubs getting payed shit, barely making any profit, but doing it because they want to get there music out.

People would always be willing to pay for live music (among other things), therefore the theory that killing copyrights kills the musician is largely unfounded. The drug industry has only 10 years to recoup any investment on discovering a new drug, does that stop them from coming out with new drugs? I think that this developing drugs requires more investment than recording music, I mean how do all these independent bands on mp3.com do it? When was the last time you saw an 'independent' drug?

"The majority of musicians dont do it for fiancial gain. Your just aware of the ones who do, because they have "hit it big". You forget about all the bands, and musicians out there that play at small clubs getting payed shit, barely making any profit, but doing it because they want to get there music out."

I tend to agree with that.

faded's got the right idea. A *true* musician is the one that cares more about their AUDIENCE than the music they make off of them. IF their music is good and worth listening to, the audience will support that by buying their cd's, paying for their concerts, etc. etc. If their music ISN'T worth listening to, or if all they become focused on is money, they become greedy and quickly find themselves doing whatever they think will give them the quick buck.

Hey folks, here's the actual quote from the bible.

"For the love of money is the root of all evils; it is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierce their hearts with many pangs." Timothy 6:10

It just irritates me when people constantly misquote this. Money isn't the problem, its what we do with it that causes the problems. Just like guns, knives, laws, laywers, politicians...etc. You get the point.

Precisely. Not only that, but it is in no small part due to this "love of money" that they seem to freak out at the mere mention of the words "Public Domain." And of course the "love of money" leads to "artistic" decisions and priorities that have led to criticism of the product out there (some of it massive) from all sides of the political spectrum, of course for different reasons.

Re: Frawgster

You are wrong. Big Money is not what is required for good music. Music has been with us since the dawn of time and will continue to be with us till the end of time. It is part of us in body and soul. Just because it has been turned into a commercial product does not mean it will die with those commercial entities. All the points above concerning bands playing (paying) for free for their audiences are valid. Money is not the inspiration for the true artist.

Besides, for US$1000 and a Mac, I can set up a Pro Tools rig and put out CDs just as good as any mainstream studio. The gear is just that good and cheap now, as many independent artists (and engineers) are discovering.

Pop will die without money. Who the hell cares about pop anyway? Rock will live on forever, and the more metal and underground it is, the harder it will die. Bands like Def Leppard, Aerosmith, Bon Jovi, if all of them were still around today and suddenly money was destroyed, they would be gone tomoroow.

Get this one, it's a fact that bands pay up to $1,000 to play at clubs on the Sunset Strip in L.A. for 30 minutes just to be heard by A&R people and there's no guarantee that any will be in the audience. Talk about the evils of money! Where I come from I always got paid to play.