Sorry to post this here but...

Apparently my old bandmate decided to keep the chorus I wrote to one of our old songs when he "rewrote" it to use with his new band.

I heard it on Myspace today.

Fucking insane.

He must be INSANE.

So if you know a good entertainment lawyer, especially with a specialty in music (and maybe some knowledge of Canadian law), please let me know.

(I'm not going to "sue" or something... I just really think it's a good idea for me to inform myself about this)

try DJ Shadow's wife. I hear she's good...

shit, i met a lady at aberfeldy who was an entertainment lawyer. i'll have to look for her card, but i think i may have thrown it away. shit shit shit! sorry.

check yo PM's

I don't know any Canadian entertainment lawyers, but the issues aren't complex. If you wrote the chorus, you own copyright in it, and he can't continue using it without your permission. The same goes for the music, by the way, if you wrote that. If you're not willing to sue him, then a lawyer's not going to do much more for you than tell you that.

i'll PM you some info.

Thanks for all the PMs, sweet people. (that's PM-s, not PMS)

Yeah. Thing is that I had told him he could use my vocals for it if he wanted to---i.e. the entire part, and credited obviously. But he said they were going to rewrite it instead. There was absolutely no mention of using the parts he felt like using, etc. It's insane.

Yeah, sorry, you've got to wait a few weeks for the PMS.

heh.

Just read up on Intellectual Property Law at your local library or online. From my one class in the subject, I remember a chorus or melody being a substantial part of what makes a song copyrightable. If you wrote it, it's yours and can't be used without your permission.

Who's going to prove you wrote it?

IMMEDIATELY: You need to send him a Certified well written letter in writing by you or your consul stating you do not want him to go forward without crediting you or participating in compensation. You need to procure some proof of your writing contribution(affidavit, witnesses, recordings, writings) only for ultimate's sake. But, a letter should do at least to elicit a response or intention. And, a lawyer's signature will seal it as legit. Find a law friend and do it fast because the paper trail and response means almost everything when it's your rights. Do It. I am serious. Put him on notice and he'll have to think about it or know the consequences.

As your attorney, I advise you to take a hit out of the little brown flask in my shaving kit.

what does that have to do with law?

Wasn't Trevor/"Babe" an entertainment lawyer.
Granted, he was in the States, but he could have some knowledge.

Paging Trevor...

Bob Loblaw

Well I've written him some emails. He wanted to talk on the phone but I've been refusing because I want a really clear paper trail.

Basically I'm trying to resolve it peacefully first---just between us.

Just wanted to know I had someone knowledgable to call if I need it.

Thanks so much for all the replies, oh wonderful Obners.

It's like he's retarded. There's a section that's exactly exactly the same thing (the part doesn't have lyrics at least), but he's saying he doesn't know what I'm talking about.

So weird.