Illayaraja's background score pieces from Rakkamma BGM page has been removed. I expected that this would happen sooner or later. I think Agi Music Agilan has sent a mail to the Rakkamma team to remove the BGM's. Agi Music now partly own the copyrights of all Raaja's works. But what is the use? Owning copyrights and just keeping it for themselves serves no purpose.
Anyway, if that message is for everyone who puts Raaja's works for streaming or download for free, then anytime soon, the message from Agilan may knock my inbox too. I Don't know how I am going to maintain this blog without posting Raaja's scores.
5 comments:
Sad to hear that... but if that does happen, please do continue to post, just without the bits... your readership might go down but it will all be in the archives.
Dear Suresh, You are right. This is the mail I received from Agi subsequent to which I removed all BGMs from Rakkamma.com site.
Dear Venkatesh and Maestrosmagic Group Administrators
We are writing behalf of Raja Music Universals @ Ilaiyaraaja, our Publisher instructed as to prohibit you from providing free download and streaming of Ilaiyaraaja’s BGM in your maestrosmagic yahoo group.
All the works are copyright protected and the original publisher for all those works are Raja Music Universals @ Ilaiyaraaja. Agi Music is the sub publisher and administrating all his work. By providing the compositions for public access without getting license and approval from us, you are involved and copyright infringement.
As most aware through our press release on 7th Jan 2007 in Hindu, we are the sub publisher for all compositions of raja sir and we are taking legal action against those providing free download, streaming, and remix without getting proper license from us.
Currently we not interest in taking any legal actions against you as we are aware your non commercial intention on promoting raja sir work. Please remove the free downloading/streaming in 5 days. We seeking your immediate corporation on this issue. Failing to remove the BGMs, will lead us to legal action against you and will instruct Yahoo to prohibit your group.
Thank you
Agilan Lechaman
CEO
Agi Music Sdn. Bhd
32B, Jalan BP 6/13
Bandar Bukit Puchong
47100 Puchong, Selangor
Malaysia
Anon - No, I won't stop. I have thought of another method of keep the blog going without actually posting the clips directly on the website.
CRV - I read that mail in Yahoo Groups before. It is really sad. Thanks for putting it here.
Always verify whether Agi Music ACTUALLY owns the BGMs. The standard practice is that the producer of the movie owns all rights. Agi has been going around doing this until one day someone asked him for a blackletter agreement on what he claims. If you notice, he relies on Press releases, etc to harass individuals and bloggers. If somebody would ask him to post the sub-publishing agreement on the net, you would then see what reaction you get from Agi Music.
Music is to be shared...not propertized and fought over.
For those who have not seen the page on pliagarism, kindly refer to
http://www.itwofs.com/tamil-ir.html
For a long time now, Indian composers have been plaigarising music by understanding the masses limitation to exposure when it comes to music from other parts of the world. Illayaraja was one of them. Though he has to be appreciated for bringing music from around the world and 'adapting' it to entertain the masses in India, I suppose a lot of humility is needed on his part. I think he has got to learn more from MSV when it comes to not blowing one's horn too much, assuming the world is still ignorant and people don't know what happens behind the scenes.
This site definitely gives useful info - I had visited it almost 3 years back.
But somehow, I have a feeling that the owner of the site is not balanced in his criticism. This is the mail sent to him by me almost 3 years back. I have not got any response or any info in the site. (It has been some time since I visited it).
Would like you to read this before you comment on great achievers like MSV or Raaja.
--- Start Old Mail ----
--- On Sat, 22/10/05, N.V wrote:
From: NV
Subject: Feedback & Info on itwofs.com
To: 6times9@gmail.com
Date: Saturday, 22 October, 2005, 1:49 PM
Dear Mr. Kathik,
this mail is regarding the following piece of info in your site.
"Anbae anbae [Film: Jeans]
The opening sequence seems inspired from Peter Gabriel's 'Of these, hope...' from the
album 'Passion: Music from the last temptation of Christ'.
Listen to anbae anbae | Of these, hope
Is A R Rahman a fan of Peter Gabriel? Tune is original! "
I beg to differ :
I do not know of the rhythm of this song. But the humming has a clear inspiration from an old song - 'Vaarayo Vennilave' of the old Tamil film 'Missiyamma', where this is used as an instrumental tone.
Rahman has a lot of inspirations from old songs : take 'Roja Roja' from 'Kaadhalar Dinam' - compare the tune to two songs of 'Varumaiyin Niram Sigappu' - a Hindi song which ends in
Tamil 'Poove Poove...' and also the end of the stanzas of the famous 'Chippiyirukkudhu' song.
I have also heard that the famous ending beats of 'Mukkala Muqabla' of 'Kaadhalan' are also taken from Dr. Alban or some other album.
In 'Mudhalvanae' from 'Mudhalvan', the ending part of the first stanza 'Mudhalvaa...vaa..' is like 'Oh Bloody..dy...dy' from 'Pardes'. I do not know if Nadeem-Shravan were original or they had some other source.
The tune of 'En Veetu Thottathil' song from 'Gentleman' is a straight take from the classical rendition of Arunagirinathar's song 'Naadha Vindhu Kalaathi Namo Namah'.
I am not accusing him of plagiarism but his music is not as 'innovative' as it is made out to be and marketed as.
Awaiting your feedback.....
Thanks & Warm Regards,
V
--- End Old Mail ----
Music is all pervading. Nobody can claim to be 100% original. Art is seldom without inspiration. But the talent of the composer lies in matching it correctly to the situation, interpreting the inspiration in his style.
There is a very thin line between inspiration and plagiarism. And it is very difficult to decide.
More often than not, the people who decide whether something is inspiration or plagiarism, seem to decide based on a different thought - their likes and dislikes about that composer. This is not good.
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