To: "Vocalist entry" <vocalist>
Subject: RE: Sheet music online
Date sent: Sun, 6 Feb 2000 19:04:55 +0100
Send reply to: VOCALIST <vocalist>

Jennifer wrote:
>I wonder how you prove afterwards that you've legitimately purchased a copy
and not just photocopied/scanned it, in case you're going to be using it in
a competition or paid recital, etc.

Good question - for any pay-and-print site, not just the one I found. You
can't tell it is an original from the quality of paper or anything else.
If the print has a copright notice on each page, and you can prove you have
paid for a copy (an invoice from the company), perhaps that is enough. If
not, we (musicians in general) have 2 choices if we want to stay legal:
1) Never use any online pay-and-print service.
2) Work out some rules for the use of pay-and-print sheet music. Or wait for
that to happen....

If you are tempted to buy pay-and-print sheet music, make sure to raise the
question ***before*** buying. If it is
for a competition, ask what proof they will need for accepting a
pay-and-print copy. Ask the selling company what proof of purchase they
offer. Start the discussion from both sides. Either the idea dies silently
because the risk of illegal copies is too great, or rules will eventually be
worked out.

I don't have an actual problem with my free sample, as I will probably never
use it for anything else than private use and I already have another copy of
the aria in a Peters collection.

By the way: How do you prove that you haven't nicked a book of arias in the
local library ?
(PLEASE don't answer this question, it is rhetorical ;-)

Karin Mandix (kmx-at-mandix.dk)