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Losing The battle. Winning the War. (Comments would help.)

Simon Seville

Simon Seville

Planetoid
Joined
Jun 23, 2015
Location
Fuck Mountain
Hey kids,

Here's my dilemma in the shortest possible terms

I make music. I offered A demo to a certain recording company who hereafter will be referred to as X records. Now, They welcomed me with open arms. Liked my work, everything was going great, Day one. my dream of doing this full time was within my grasp.

Only one thing, they didn't like the words. OK, no big deal right? I go home, and rewrite the song, And after several weeks of conjuring words to fit music I go back, all bright Eye'd and Bushy tailed and ready to show them what i've got... BUT again, they reject my lyrics.. the sped up version is this. They brought in a creative team to help write the song. it was ok. not my style but more got done. Several rewrites of my own. and theirs later, they decided i'm no longer the catch of the day, and send me out the door. By this point my patience was paper thin. and it was showing in the words I was committing to paper.

I decided to walk. and simply pursue this as a hobby. which is what i've been doing for a while now. Just not a day ago I got a phone call from X records claiming Not only that they have the rights to the words they had written. but mine as well along with the music that I had composed. All of this before a contract was drawn up and signed.

My options are as follows.
1. Give up, do their dance and maybe make somekind of career
2.pursue somekind of independant avenue. (Bandcamp/Itunes)
3. Keep doing what I've been doing, zero profit. %100 output.
4.Take somekind of legal action

Love,
Simon
-0.0-
 
Legal action. Duh. Assuming you never signed ANYTHING. If you so much as signed their guestbook, then they probably DO have all your rights now.
 
I'm more than likely going to take that option. My claim will be to my lyrics, and music, they can have what they wrote. And I'll just go on my merry way. If things get ugly, they have more money than I do, so I might be in trouble. i'm a fly in their proverbial soup, they could outright destroy me.
 
The fact that they have money and you don't is how you'll win. Any lawyer that helps you win this case stands to make a decent payday.

Do you have DATED RECORDS of the conception of this material? Notebooks, computer files, maybe online posts? Not just talking about the fact that you're doing it, but early drafts of the material itself.

If so, the question is, do you want to get paid, or do you just want them to clear out? Show their legal counsel your records, give 'em a rude gesture, and they'll fuck right off. Or, wait until someone associated with X records uses something of yours, and activate your trap card. The choice is yours.
 
I have all of the multitracks of my recent material as well as all Demos and related items. The band that helped me flesh out the demo has also agreed to be in my corner with my case. (I only sing and play keyboard/piano/synthesizer)
 
UPDATE: I've achieved an out of court settlement. They keep the lyrics they wrote. I keep my music and my lyrics. Everyone seems to be at peace.
 
Thank you, this has been a great learning experience for me, I think I'll stick to just making music for the sole purpose of making music.
 
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