Had an idea

c4l · Dec 30, 2005

Hi - i've had an idea.

It's basically a 'The Best............ Songs Ever CD' - that sort of thing.

I have an idea on theme and also on the 42 tracks that would make it - including their artist, title, year and what recording company owns the rights etc.

Is there any way i could sell my idea do you think??

If i approach a large record label, surely they'd just pinch the idea without giving me anything for my 'concept' and thoughts?

If there anything in this or is it just a scatterbrain plan?!

directmarketingadvice · Dec 30, 2005

Is there any way i could sell my idea do you think??

Why not approach the record companies and find out?

However, here's what to do beforehand:

Write down your title and track listing and send it to yourself by registered post (don't open it!). Then you've got a copy which is dated and can be used as evidence if they nick the idea and track listing.

This method is used by a lot of wannabe songwriters who send demos to music publishers.

It may be that your idea simply isn't substantial enough or unique enough that you've got something to protect.

They might like 'The Best............ Songs Ever CD' title, but not the track listing. Or they might like 6 of the songs, but want to use totally different songs for the rest of the CD.

Who knows?

But why not give it a go?

Steve

Dec 30, 2005

Urrrh

How is posting it to yourself going to prove the content was posted.

Package seals can easily be re stuck so you could stick anything in their.

directmarketingadvice · Dec 30, 2005

Package seals can easily be re stuck so you could stick anything in their.

You could sign across the seal.

Maybe this is just a myth and all the people who've been "protecting" their work this way over the years are just wasting their time and money.

Any lawyers around?

Steve

c4l · Dec 30, 2005

Is there any way i could send my idea though and they could say well we like the title idea and like some of the songs BUT, we're changing the title to 'XXXX' and getting rid of 6 tracks and replacing them with 6 new ones?

Would this get them around the copywright situation?

directmarketingadvice · Dec 30, 2005

Is there any way i could send my idea though and they could say well we like the title idea and like some of the songs BUT, we're changing the title to 'XXXX' and getting rid of 6 tracks and replacing them with 6 new ones?

There's obviously going to be a point where the idea stops being "your idea" and becomes an idea that is inspired (but sufficiently different) to yours.

Just as your idea was inspired by existing 'The Best............ Songs Ever CD' ideas.

For example, if I was in the music biz and you came along with an idea for a "The best depressing country songs ever" CD, I might think that's an interesting idea.

However, I might decide to put together a 3 CD set called "The best 'tear in my beer, my woman's left, my dogs up and gone and now I'm going to blow my head off with a shotgun' songs of all time".

And, if I was going to put together 42 tracks for that (without seeing your listing), I bet there would be a strong overlap betwen our listings.

Let's assume that, after comparing our listings, I noticed 4 songs that I thought had to be on there, and I decided to add them in and drop 4 songs from my listing.

So, looking at what we've ended up with, what you've brought to the table is a basic idea (a CD set of depressing country songs) and you've helped improve the track listing.

Personally, I'd be happy to pay you something in return for that. Not a huge amount, but something that would be in line with whatever the in-house promotions guys would earn for coming up with something similar.

So, maybe a few grand.

However, I'm not sure if, legally, I'd have to pay you. Isn't there a copyright guy around here?

Steve

Urban Space · Dec 30, 2005

Any lawyers around?

Handsongroup has a good knowledge of law. Think he's a copywriter too.

Liam

clairemackaness · Dec 30, 2005

Why not call up the reord companies and ask then how it works

c4l · Dec 31, 2005

I may just do that Claire.

Seems like a viable idea that may or may not work.

It wasn't hard work doing - and was a lot of fun really - music that i like to hear anyway so not torture such as heavy metal stuff (opinion only!) that i'm not really in to.

quotes4 · Jan 1, 2006

You can't copyright an idea.
Just because you've thought up the idea for an album you can't actually copyright anything other than original content.
For example, you can't copyright the idea or theme of a novel, you can only copyright the actual copy within the book (i.e. the combination of words, sentances and paragraphs that reveal the story).
If you could copyright the idea for a story then we would only ever have one book, film, song, website, on each subject which would make for a very boring and one sided world!

It's just my opinion but aren't there already a million different compliation albums that say they have the "best" songs?
If it is an original idea then as soon as you mention it to a record company they'll just take the idea and use it themselves. What you need is a confidentiality agreement that they would sign before you reveal your idea.
However, now that you've posted your idea on here then they would be able to argue that they read about it here so the idea is public knowledge anyway.

c4l · Jan 1, 2006

But they don't know what the idea is!!

Best driving songs ever, best love songs ever?? They've got no idea!!

directmarketingadvice · Jan 1, 2006

You can't copyright an idea.

True. You can only copyright an expression of the idea.

Doesn't C4l's title and track listing represent "the expression of an idea"?

as soon as you mention it to a record company they'll just take the idea and use it themselves

How do you know? Do you have anything to back this up?

What you need is a confidentiality agreement that they would sign before you reveal your idea

I'd suggest the chances of you getting this is about 100-1. They're unlikely to bother signing something like this with someone with no track record in the industry.

However, now that you've posted your idea on here then they would be able to argue that they read about it here so the idea is public knowledge anyway.

He hasn't posted the idea here, just the gist. That is to say, he's talked about the idea in general terms, but not shared the details.

Steve

quotes4 · Jan 1, 2006

c4l said:
But they don't know what the idea is!!

Best driving songs ever, best love songs ever?? They've got no idea!!

It doesn't take much imagination to come up with best "something" albums so how is this idea original? You can buy these kind of CD's in most music shops so what makes your idea different to those and importantly, more marketable?

What about the music for the CD? How are you going to get the rights to use it?

I don't mean to poor cold water on your idea, it just doesn't strike me as an original idea or one that hasn't been exploited already.

quotes4 · Jan 1, 2006

Hi Steve,
I don't want to get into an argument over copyright law but i've looked into this in some detail and the "expression" of an idea is exactly what i was referring to when i said the words, sentences and paragraphs that make up a body of work.
Take a look at this site for a better description of copyright. It explains it better than i could. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copyright

The idea that a large music publishing company would take an idea that's already been exploited fully, even if this particular take on the idea is original, and not just use the idea for themselves is perhaps a bit naive.

directmarketingadvice · Jan 1, 2006

The idea that a large music publishing company would take an idea that's already been exploited fully, even if this particular take on the idea is original, and not just use the idea for themselves is perhaps a bit naive.

I'm curious, let me ask you, if someone came to you with a business idea that could make you a lot of money would you, if you could get away with it scot-free, cut them out the deal and keep all the money yourself?

Steve

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