James Delahunty
21 Dec 2005 14:16
Music Publisher Warner/Chappell Music has apologized for a letter it send to Walter Ritter, an independent Austrian programmer over his pearLyrics program. pearLyrics which worked nicely with Apple's iTunes music store, simply scoured through sites on the net for song lyrics that users could then import. It did not have any database of lyrics itself, it just searched for them on public websites. After Ritter received the letter he immediately pulled the software.
Richard Blackstone, Warner/Chapell's chief executive office, noticed the loud outcry on the Internet and called Ritter to apologize for the letter. He also offered him the chance to work together. "The goal of Warner/Chapell's prior letter to Pearworks was to gain assurance that PearLyrics operated according to (legal) principles," a statement on the Pearworks Web site read. "However, in both tone and substance, that letter was an inappropriate manner in which to convey that inquiry. Warner/Chappell apologizes to Walter Ritter and (his company) Pearworks."
This is just the latest incident in a growing issue over free song lyrics web sites. Music Publishers believe the lyrics to a song and sheet music are copyrighted aspects of their compositions and shouldn't be given away freely online.
Source:
News.com