Some people claim record labels start stealing copyrights from artists as soon as the ink on the recording contract is laid down. But, in the United Kingdom, a record label is going the other way.

In an article found on Wired.com, we find the following :
"one small independent label in Great Britain is doing the opposite: It's giving the rights to the artists -- and anyone else who wants to use the music, too.

Loca Records wants to foster experimentation and freedom in music by building a stable of free music which can be shared, remixed and manipulated by anyone. Songs are not locked by digital rights management technology.

The music is available for free in MP3 format, but the company sells its CDs and vinyl in retail stores throughout Europe. Artists earn a percentage of any record sales; Loca Records makes its money through record sales, gigs it promotes and merchandise.

"You're free to copy it, give it to your friends and you can play it. If you're really interested, you can sample it and then re-release it," said David Berry, managing director of Loca Records and an artist himself, known as Meme. "Because at the end of the day, if you sample the work and create a fantastic remix, we think you're entitled to try and make some money from it."

Loca Records licenses its music using Creative Commons. The organization offers free copyright licenses to anyone who wants to share his or her work with the public while reserving some rights. Using these licenses, Loca Records permits anyone to copy and distribute the content, make derivative works and sell it, as long as they attribute the work to the original creator and distribute it under the same "share alike" license. "
(For more on creative commons licensing, please check out www.creativecommons.org ).

And, in more comments from the fine article we read :
""I do worry that copyright is getting out of control. This gives us an opportunity to create a new culture and a new sound. If we are greedy and we lock down our culture now, there will be nothing for the next generation," Berry said.

The company has published the work of six musicians so far. In January, it will release its first album complete with added music source code, including samples, MIDI files, the score, drum sounds, any text files and the arrangement itself.

Berry said that Loca Records, which does not sign exclusive contracts with its artists, is investing in musicians by giving them the freedom to experiment and build on each other's creations.

"The record labels don't invest in new artists, which I think is a tragic thing," Berry said. "Now they are more interested in polished, produced, manufactured music ... essentially dancing school graduates."

Some artists are initially hesitant to work with this unfamiliar type of contract, but once they understand how it works, the response has been positive, Berry said.

"This is like a natural progression for electronica," said ML, an electronica musician and DJ in Brighton, England. "It seems like an obvious thing to do. Personally, I find it very liberating."

"It requires someone to take my music and tear it apart -- to re-create something and interpret it," ML said.

Still, the label is very small-scale. Berry said Loca is not designed to be a multinational record label and the company expects its artists to outgrow the label as they get more attention.

It's also not the only label experimenting with new forms of music distribution and collaboration. Magnatune, an independent label in Berkeley, California, also offers music for download and sharing, and Opsound invites any musician to submit songs to its website, where others can listen, share and remix them. Both labels license the music using Creative Commons.

"I think it's a wonderful idea," said David Kusek, associate vice president of the Berklee College of Music, which recently announced a plan to distribute music lessons for free over peer-to-peer networks.

Historically, building upon one another's music was common, Kusek said. Jazz, in particular, was based on improvisation, theme and variation and "who could outdo each other" with each interpretation of a piece. "

Certainly, this seems like a step in the right direction at this point.

For the complete article, please visit this page:
http://www.wired.com/news/digiwood/0,1412,61282,00.html

~Code

Note- Loca is still a small label, but it is at least taking a progressive step regarding artist's rights.

http://www.boycott-riaa.com/article/9100

http://www.boycott-riaa.com/article/9160

cool

more power to 'em! this is the way it should have been in the first place - you own what you compose (but not for artists that don't write their own songs, like Britney).


now if only the big labels would start doing this... oh wait, nevermind, their heads are to far up their asses.

ya but thier heads are so far up maybe they can see out thier mouths.

haha

shorty...mea culpa...
my fault on not seeing that earlier story....lol...i do make the occasional mistake..thanks
~Code

I see this as a bad thing. You wouldn't want your band losing out on money because your music is basically open for anyone to take it and remix or rewrite it. That is rediculous and will cause problems.

I know that 6 bands is not earth shaking, but if you ever watch original footage of Orville and Wilbur Wright's efforts at manned flight, you would see that was pretty pitiful as well, and yet, even this meager accomplishment, spurred others to look at this form of travel, which eventually revolutionized
long range trips.

I am not certain this is the best way to do things, but it seems like Loca is at least trying something other than the same old master-serf relationship which the RIAA labels exert on their groups.

And, for better or worse, lots of people are using the creative commons license, granted, more writers of literature than music writers right now, but I personally think that some sort of experimentation with alternative methods are good.

The copyright approach and model used by the RIAA labels is the reason we are in this mess right now anyway. If you take a very hard stand, this is my copyright and any infringement needs to be prosecuted to the fullest, you find yourself, by logical extension, supported the sue the world actions of Cary and the boys.

I think songwriters who write the songs, should have control of their own copyrights, and if they choose of their own volition to go the Creative Commons right, or any other form of license, that's up to them.

I am for supporting music, and musicians, and copyright holders, but I am against the actions of the RIAA, and its member labels.

This may seem schizophrenic in a way...
but hey, that's the way I feel.

sorry for typos-

"prosecuted to the fullest, you find yourself, by logical extension, supported the sue the world actions of Cary and the boys." should say.. "...by logical extension, supporting the sue the world ..."

and other typo...

"...but I personally think that some sort of experimentation with alternative methods are good" should read...
"but I personally think that some sort of experimentation with alternative methods is good"

"Because at the end of the day, if you sample the work and create a fantastic remix, we think you're entitled to try and make some money from it."

Simply refreshing.

interesting concept... crazi enuf to work