Karaoke Forums

Oh I don't know.

Kurt has made a public comment regarding the Las Vegas lawsuit hence:

"Oh, by the way, good news for all Sound Choice supporters, after my depositions in Vegas and trips there over the past two weeks, we reached settlements with several defendants and those that are venues will be requiring certified hosts. So, anyone wanting to work in Vegas should contact us, because right now, there aren’t enough legit hosts in Vegas that I am aware of and I think I can help place hosts in about 8 gigs immediately. And after trial on the remaining defendant(s) there might be more openings."

http://soundchoicelasvegaslawsuit.com/k ... mment-2931

Now this comment was made 6 weeks BEFORE the Ellis Island settlement but only 1 day before the PT Defendants motion to sever was granted. Coincidence? Well people will believe what they want to believe I guess.

Secret Squirrel should be heading to Vegas soon to scope out PT's and Ellis Island to see if GEM tracks, or certified hosts are being used. I hope Secret Squirrel doesn't come across the Phantom Cat in a parking garage surveillance video!

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-- Mark

I suspect the winner in the secret deal was the defendant and the only thing won by Slep-Tone was the secrecy of the deal (because secret deals have been the norm for Slep-Tone when they back down from their suits).

Or the Defendants realized they didn't have a case and settled rather than going to trial. As far as a non-disclosure clause, either both parties agree with it or is court ordered. There is nothing nefarious about it and is often common practice.

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You can be strange but not a stranger

Oh, I get it now. Schlep forces the venues to agree to only hire "certified" hosts to prevent being sued in the future. Then Schlep advertises that they need hosts to fill 8 gigs, of course they'll need to purchase a GEM to be qualified to take the gigs. Once again, a slimey method of forcing their product on KJs in order for them to work freely. Another low point reached by SC.

All the more reason why neither the certified or the non certified camps can claim a victory or any of these settlements where the out come is kept confidential. Have a happy Easter.

ANY certified host can book a computerized show at a Safe Harbor Venue.

Any KJ can become certified by either passing an audit or purchasing a GEM series. The option also remains to run a disc based show.

If a computerized host prefers not to show they are 1-1 certified then the Safe Harbor Venues will find one who will do so.

We are finding a larger number of Venues locally that will only speak with certified or disc based hosts.

None of this is slimy or underhanded in any way.

The question no one seems to want to consider is, are they forcing their product on people who are 1:1 or are they forcing their product on people who have been using it without paying for it? As far as I can see, they may be forcing an audit on people who are 1:1 but they aren't forcing any product on them. The only people getting product forced on them are the ones who had stolen it and now they are being made to pay. I'm not sure why anyone would feel sorry for the poor thieves having product forced on them--other than I wish they would just put them out of business instead. But they seem to be trying to do a bit of that, also.

It's so generous of you (KJFlorida) to include us (few and far apart) ODB KJ's in your statement. However, SC still has not made Certification available to a Disc Based KJ (with just 1 known exception on this board, and that is KaraokeJerry). There is no Audit program set up for the ODB KJ... And it's been promised for over 1 year now. So, where's the fairness in that??? An ODB KJ is not listed in SC's website, and SC is handing out the preferential treatment (and possible job opportunities) to those listed in their site.

Any host can run a show at any venue, just don't have SC tracks at all. SC is not a law enforcement or government agency, they don't have the power to keep you from working at a venue. Want proof? 5 KJs named in legal action by SC in NC 2 years ago, all are still working multiple shows each week while at least 2 SC "certified" hosts sit at home every single night with their GEM set.

That is also a possibility rickgood, I am just not sure how well it would go over with Safe Harbor Venues, The venues sign up for the program to avoid any chance of being sued, I am not sure a KJ would get very far by saying "I just wont use SC". A few hosts in my area did stop using the SC tracks they had downloaded, the result was more traffic at my shows from customers who wanted those tracks. My company is working as many nights as 2 KJ's can handle and I am in process of hiring and training another KJ or two in order to expand.

And yet, SC seems to be affecting which KJs work, and are now Kurt is beginning to claim where. Granted, there are pirates out there who were named in lawsuits, and they seem to have thrived. And, on the other side of the coin, there are Certified KJs out there who can't find diddly-squat.

Now, as for the comment about a host being able to work at any venue as long as he/she/they don't use SC tracks at all... well, why should I feel the need to be restricted from using their tracks. After all, I am an ODB KJ. There is no 1:1 for me. It's a 1:0. Yet SC, who is NOT a Law Enforcement Agency, seems to be placing that same restriction upon me, because they refuse to list me on their website as being Certified. And by refuse, I mean to say that they are NOT offering me the opportunity to be listed. And, before you tell me to "go and pay for the GEM series," I will say, "Why should I?". I already have whatever SC tracks that I want or feel I need in my library, and I am using them as originally intended... in disc format.


And apparently, an ODB KJ (like myself) would be in the same boat because SC hasn't offered Certification to me. By a Venue going to look up who is listed on Safe Harbor, they won't find me. So, opportunities are being taken away from me and given to others because of SC stepping in and trying to take control of the situation of Piracy.

Cueball,
The Safe Harbor paperwork clearly states the rules for certification apply to host that are using computerized systems and NOT disc based hosts. There are 3 ODB hosts in our area that are having no problem booking shows now. JoeC has said he uses being disc based as a big selling point as well.

Safe Harbor and Certification for hosts are two different things aren't they? I am disc and may not be able to show certification at the moment but I can give venues a Safe Harbor Registration number which helps to keep them off the hook. I'm going to worry about the certification issue if/when SC makes it an issue in my area. Then I would hope there is still a way to participate as a disc host.

And therein lies the rub. Everything SC talks about puts the focus and emphasis on the HD KJ, with barely a word mentioned about the ODB KJ. And not only that, but the OBD KJ gets excluded from any recognition by SC (as you just proved in your statement). And here's a small example of how SC wants to control everything...





Joe C. operates out of the Northern and Central areas of NJ. He has stated many times that SC has affected the way the Venues think in his area, and thus, he is able to work it in his favor. I am in the Neighboring NY area, and the Venues don't give a crap. Telling them that I am working with a fully legal library only draws a "So What" type of response. I don't have a following, and that is all the Venues care about in my area. I can't guarantee them anything, and I won't lie or embellish about it to get the job either. I am not a Salesman.

If the bars in your area only care about you having a following then being listed on the SC site won't make any difference.

How can you say you aren't a salesman? If you aren't a salesman, what is your pitch, when you are trying to pick up a gig or an event? Every KJ is a salesman when trying to secure a gig. We sell a service and we want them to buy it.

-Chris

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-Chris

I would also add that I use being disc based as a sales point for reasons other than liability, and have since before SC started their litigation.

Also, while using being ODB as proof that I am not a pirate, AT NO TIME do I EVER mention SC's name- any association with the label would only be another sales hurdle to overcome. .

I have also posters mention that they "boycott" SC. I don't think of what I do that way. I simply stopped buying the product because it is no longer useful for my business- a situation that they, and they alone caused. Brilliant marketing..

I know that Mr. Boo has run into similar situations, and I expect the label to fade in other areas as it has in mine.

Cue, while I certainly agree that "certification" should be offered to those ODB hosts that want it, the bottom line is that in my area, touting any association with that label or any of it's programs would do more harm than good, so I don't really care about it. As stated above, I believe that attitude will spread as SC continues to defecate on their own label.

About Safe Harbor: While I know that SC lists KJs that are compliant with their will on their website, I can't seem to find a separate listing of venues that do the same. Is there such a listing? Although the KJ site shows KJs or venues in the heading, I see no venues listed there. Where would one find this valuable advertising aid?

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"No Contests, No Divas, Just A Good Time!"

" Disc based and loving it..."

Wrong.... It would/will make a difference for those few Bar Owners/Managers who do care about piracy (or care about the threats made by SC to sue them along with any illegal KJ they have hired). You got hired to host a gig just by being listed in SC's site. You never went to give "your pitch" to the place before, and the only reason you got it, was because they were instructed by SC to check on their website where they could find a list of Certified KJs.


Since I only do this occasionally, I have no sales pitch. I just walk into the Bar and ask for the Manager. I inquire whether he/she is interested in having Karaoke. I leave my card. If I get to talk with the Manager/Owner, I then explain how Karaoke works and what I have to offer, and how much I charge. There may be a little more discussion/Q&A, but that's about it. Remember, I don't depend on this as an income. I have a full-time job. In fact, my FT job makes it more difficult for me to secure a Karaoke gig because of my constant rotation (every 3 months) of which days in the week I have to work.

Incorrect. I got the call because I was listed on the website. I got the gig after making my sales pitch. They were not obligated to hire me just because I was on the site.




I too have a FT job that makes it difficult for me to host (writing this from a hotel in Dallas before I fly to Seattle where I will not even leave the airport because I have to fly to San Francisco later tonight where I will be for 26 hours and then fly to Denver for two days and then come back home).

We have different goals and different methods. Even if you are simply dropping off a card and waiting for a call back, when the call comes in, you are still selling yourself. I am just a little more aggressive with my marketing and sales. I have a packet I drop off and I ask what the manager's name is and if I can get a number or an exact time when they will be in. I even try to make an appointment if I can.

Different strokes....

-Chris

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-Chris

I stand corrected; however, you were afforded an opportunity that is not being offered to me. You got yourself Certified by SC because of your situation. SC is not offering that option to me. You would not have gotten this gig if you had not been listed in SC's site in the first place, because it was a place that you didn't think or know to approach on your own.

All of that is accurate.

I suppose the trade off here is that you don't have any audit fee or obligation to report anything to SC on an ongoing basis and as a result you have no listing.

I have the expense of certification and the ongoing obligation to ensure I stay compliant by notifying SC of updates to my SC library. I effectively paid to be listed and have to maintain my good standing and reporting to SC to keep that listing.

This is all simple enough to do and I have no issue with it on my end. Just pointing out that I had to work for the listing and I am happy to accept the benefits of being there.

-Chris

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-Chris

Cueball's point is that we don't have the same opportunity to show compliance and be listed. We are using the original media as it was designed to be used yet can't be on a list of legal hosts.

But I'm going to worry about that if anything actually happens around here. Maybe by then I will have either gotten the money to shift or there will be a disc certification method. I know they were working on one but ran into problems.