Karaoke Forums

I will give you that Cue. I appreciate the differentiation, but as Lonnie noted - different can, different worms - and I am truly uninterested in debating that one on top of the other legalities.

I agree with you though.

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-Chris

I had written one about 20 years ago with 5 of my co-workers. It was for a Group NY LOTTO Pool. I made sure that it was short, and sweet, and to the point. I don't remember what I wrote in it today, but I can guarantee that you would not have found a loophole in it.
I find that the fewer words you use, the less loopholes you can find.

I get the whole "mileage may vary " thing, but realistically, the less that is said, the easier it is to find, or, more frequently, create a loophole...

Ok guys a little information now lets see the blind leading the blind on this one

Kapa UK + has been set up with the support of Sunfly, mr entertainer Zoom, sbi, and abraxxa

Ok Are you ready for this the directors of KAPA UK Are Staci Sutherland And Gordon Sutherland who own a company outside Glasgow called Entertainment express, now do you see the irony of this they own a karaoke company who have around 20 odd systems out on hire every week doing karaoke, now they are (@$%&#!) there presenters are terrible they get complaints a lot, i am not saying they are all bad presenters just the majority, so they start over time losing venues to other companies and presenters so they dream up this new company (KAPA) And try and bully people in to joining or paying the fee or proving that there tracks are not pirated, so guys do the maths

Okay, just my 2 cents worth.

I have had some conversations with Zoom through Facebook, not sure if it is Joe (Owner of Zoom) or not that runs the page but I am very unsure about it.
I pointed out that this was a pointless exercise whilst Zoom karaoke tracks are available to play on Youtube, I pay full price for your tracks £2 and yet anyone with a computer can run a show off Youtube without paying for anything.
His reply was that everytime someone uses one of their tracks on Youtube they got some money out of it and this was better than nothing, I pointed this was having your cake and eating it. IE We are against piracy but you can run a show off Youtube using our tracks.
So I pay full price to be legit and you allow everyone else to use Youtube.

This sums up the problem with manufacturers and piracy, if the manufacturers made it cost effective to buy their tracks I am sure many would but as long as Zoom are putting their own tracks on Youtube they are not helping themselves.

The agency themselves do not have any power, but what they say is "If you don't prove you are innocent to us you must be guilty so we will report you to BPI, PRS and Trading Standards for piracy and let them deal with you."

$2-$3 per track seems pretty reasonable to me.

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-Chris

The thing is with zoom entertainments is they will cut of the shops that sell there stuff and undercut them as well i know this is fact as i know one of the shops that used to sell there discs butt hey had no option but to stop selling them, basically they had to sell them say for £12 a pop per disc but zoom would go ahead and sell the same discs on amazing themselves for £6 (this is an example) basically undercutting there own dealers although i do like zoom entertainments tracks i would easily stop using them for the likes of sound choice and so on more so now that i have been having a lot of conversations with joe over this kapauk crap and his attitude stinks.

also as an after thought to what gnome has said. if zoom are getting a small payment from youtube when there tracks are played in theory you could then use youtube to host your karaoke nights in venues as they are getting a small payment which in turn could be suggested that you are licensing those tracks for playback

Attached is a copy of the letter that they are now sending out to venues. as there own company now this just goes to show how underhanded this whole thing is

Your website advertising over 90K songs would be a little suspicious to anyone...... that cares or stands a chance to gain

Beginning to sound like "something across the pond" is beginning to emit an aroma.
Don't know that I would be surprised at that either.

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Music speaks to the heart in ways words cannot express.

Wow! I'm sure, soon enough the manufacturers will catch on to their little scheme. Totally f-ckin' unbelievable.

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Electro-Voice Evolve 50... Taking Sound To The Next Level.

So, if from reading the above posts and putting the pieces together it seems that...

KAPA is nothing but a scam, created by a pirate company in order to divert the attention away from themselves and continue to operate as pirates while taking market share away from every body else.

You have to admit, it is genius!

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Electro-Voice Evolve 50... Taking Sound To The Next Level.

Lets keep things in perspective:

KAPA UK is actually Kevin Parkinson of Entertainment Express in Scotland who has apparently asked Jim Woodford (owner of SBI) who produces SBI, Abraxa, Mr Entertainer and the majority of Sunfly along with Joe Blackie at Zoom to grant him the authority to send out these letters and make these threats in the hope of creating a similar license/revenue stream to HELP.

Domain Name: kapauk.com
Registry Domain ID: 1909063064_DOMAIN_COM-VRSN
Registrar WHOIS Server: whois.ascio.com
Registrar URL: http://www.ascio.com
Updated Date: 2015-03-11T07:50:13Z
Creation Date: 2015-03-11T03:50:23Z
Registrar Registration Expiration Date: 2017-03-11T07:50:23Z
Registrar: Ascio Technologies, Inc
Registrar IANA ID: 106
Registrar Abuse Contact Email: abuse@ascio.com
Registrar Abuse Contact Phone: +44.2070159370
Reseller:
Domain Status: OK
Registry Registrant ID:
Registrant Name: Kevin Parkinson
Registrant Organization: Entertainment Express UK
Registrant Street: Flowerbank
Registrant Street: Neilston Road
Registrant City: Glasgow
Registrant State/Province: Strathclyde
Registrant Postal Code: G78 3PR
Registrant Country: GB
Registrant Phone: +44.1418760661
Registrant Phone Ext:

The best part about it is that Mr. Woodford owns the SBI Sunfly Karaoke Bar in Pattaya Thailand that advertises over 90,000 songs


https://www.facebook.com/pages/SBI-Sunfly-Karaoke/174451042606753?pnref=lhc

It seems highly unlikely SBI, Mr Entertainer, Sunfly, Zoom would actually expect PRS/MCPS to back them up when they are already looked at with skepticism after being named in the Sony/EMI suit against Tricerasoft.



Just sayin'

'ya think?

i can send anyone that wants it the 23 page pdf from companies house for kapauk that shows gordon and staci Sutherland as the directors. i think for a company that is dying on its feet then they should have picked a better way to try and make money like make there business work instead of trying to screw people over.

Kev works in there office as the office boy oops sorry i mean manager he is from what i have been told the one that likes to threaten staff when they leave as Gordon has no back bone

I used to work for these sociopathic bullies. If anyone has any questions I'm more than happy to give details.

So, first we have manufacturers who allow their tracks to be shared on You Tube, and then we have manufacturers supporting a bogus organization run by pirates. Wow!

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Electro-Voice Evolve 50... Taking Sound To The Next Level.

Good to see you on here again Chip.

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Music speaks to the heart in ways words cannot express.

I was told that Obama personally intervened, and got him reinstated Obama believes that "KJ Lives Matter" and that if he had a son he would have wanted him to be a KJ. Isn't America great!!!!!

yEP AND HERE IS A DIRECT REPLY I RECEIVED FROM SUNFLY

and my responses

Dear Del.
We are doing lots of things with BPI, PRS, PIPCU and other bodies to combat piracy. We are cracking down on hard drive copying and selling and the availability of our content on torrent sites.
Supporting KAPA is just one of those initiatives. Entertainment Express who are running KAPA are well placed to do so because they know their local scene. They will not be able to take advantage of their position to secure more work as a result of KAPA. To avoid any potential conflict of interest, Entertainment Express have committed not to approach a venue which has been visited by KAPA UK to pitch for new work (but will continue to work in venues where existing contracts are in place).
I sincerely hope that you can support KAPA as it is in everyone's long term interest to reduce if not eradicate piracy.
Thanks.
Sunfly.

i then replied with the letter above and this quote

If that's the case why are they sending the letter above out to all venues, I am taking this to trading standards as this is beyond a joke.
Not a chance on this earth will I support KAPA as they have only set this up for there own needs because as a company they are losing venues on a weekly basis.
Have you looked in to entertainment express because I have acquired a hard drive that entertainment express sold to someone and I have proof of this and the ID tags for the tracks point to they have come from a torrent site so of that is not piracy what is... You can maybe now understand why I won't support KAPA I have been approached my a whole host of people who are willing to fight this, reason they have come to me is I am like a do with a bone I won't give it up so easy

there reply was

I understand that that letter was only sent to their existing customers - not to try and acquire new business. I would ask you to send any evidence of any piracy to us directly if you feel more comfortable doing that. Thanks Del.

my reply to that was

I am having the drive analysed now and the only person that will be getting a copy of those tracks is TRADING STANDARDS in the UK.. And as for the letter only going to existing venues sorry that is crap as this didn't come from an existing venue... I am putting a letter together with our solicitor to send out to every venue in Scotland that will explain who exactly KAPA are and what they are trying to do... Already there has been instances of them trying to bully presenters over this past weekend alone now this could be deemed as threatening behaviour and for a company like sunfly to be behind this then it does start to leave a bad taste in a lot of people's minds ... KAPA should have been set up by a totally independent body not a karaoke company with there own interests at heart

as of yet i have not had another reply