Danger Mouse Skirts Copyright Suits by Releasing Blank CD Album
Danger Mouse Skirts Copyright Suits by Releasing Blank CD Album
Posted 05/18/2009 at 8:05am
| by Paul Lilly
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Citing "legal issues," EMI nixed plans to release Danger Mouse's new CD, Dark Night of the Soul, a collaboration with rock group Sparklehorse that also features Iggy Pop and The Flaming Lips. But that doesn't mean fans of the mashup artist are completely out of luck, depending on how far they're willing to go. 'Just pirate the music,' is the message essentially being sent.
Since EMI refuses to release the project, Danger Mouse has decided to sell the album as a "100+ page book" of David Lynch photographs inspired by the music, and will toss in a blank CD-R.
'For Legal Reasons, enclosed CD-R contains no music. Use it as you will."
The idea, of course, is for fans to illegally download the music via P2P/torrent and fill the CD themselves, and though EMI hasn't said yet said anything, it can't be too happy about the move.
Image Credit: boinboing.net
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bloodyserb
May 18, 2009 at 2:05pm
And Demonoid and everywhere else. You can also stream the whole thing for free on NPR.org. This kind of stunt worked extrememly well for Fiona Apple a couple of years ago, of course it was also a complete disaster for Marilyn Manson. You still have to make something people want to listen to first. I listened to the stream and liked it well enough. If you're a fan of Calexico or the Flaming Lips there is plenty for you to enjoy here. Also a pretty funny cameo by Iggy Pop basically complaining about being old.
reynen
May 18, 2009 at 1:51pm
The album is up...
You just need to look for it...
If you search "Danger Mouse" at TPB and sort by seeds the first hit is a solid torrent...
Enjoy...
mrvander
May 18, 2009 at 11:36am
If the album is unreleased - how does one go about pirating it? Doesn't there have to be something there to pirate in the first place? Maybe I'm just an old fart who remembers Danger Mouse as an adventerous cartoon rodent and I just don't get it. Maybe EMI found the best method of anti-piracy ever - don't release anything.
whitneymr
May 18, 2009 at 2:48pm
He's released it on his own website. Plus he is the copyright holder. MPC really should print more than a quarter of the story.
praetor_alpha
May 18, 2009 at 1:56pm
Unreleased games are pirated all the time, and many times weeks before they are up for sale. I can't imagine that music would be any different.
comptech08
May 18, 2009 at 12:48pm
that didnt answer his question. And really had nothing to do with his comment. I also wonder how do you pirate songs that have never been released? Had to be a leak somewhere
Paul_Lilly
May 18, 2009 at 2:09pm
Obviously we're not going to post a link to where the copyrighted music can be obtained, but suffice to say, it's out there. Just like the movie 'Wolverine' was made available (illegally) weeks before it was released.
-Paul Lilly
Geeksquadmyss
May 18, 2009 at 2:24pm
Or Hollywood would go after you for hosting pirated material, send you a nasty letter demanding its removal, then take you to court.
bloodyserb
May 18, 2009 at 2:38pm
http://thepiratebay.org/torrent/4899280/Danger_Mouse__amp__Sparklehorse_-_Dark_Night_of_the_Soul
mrvander
May 18, 2009 at 12:44pm
Didn't question the copyright status of intelluctual property. What I questioned is how is there anything to pirate? If they DID NOT release the music - assuming the album was not leaked - there is simply NOTHING there to infringe, is there? You can't copy the words down of a book that's never seen the light of day. You can't repeat a story that you've never heard. You can't copy music of an album that's never been distributed.
So I think "Danger Mouse"'s play is nothing more than a gesture of protest. He's not necessarily saying "copy my unreleased album" because you can't and that would just be silly to infer to someone to copy something that doesn't exist as distributed media. Then again, his stage name is "Danger Mouse" and that's pretty silly too.
atcastle
May 18, 2009 at 1:50pm
The album is available online. In fact, NPR has made the entire album available for streaming on their website.
Vegan
May 18, 2009 at 11:34am
Thanks, EMI! If you hadn't done this, I never would have heard of this guy or his music! It sounds intriguing, I think I'll heard over to Pirate Bay to check it out.
jcollins
May 18, 2009 at 11:30am
Side note, that picture really reminds me of the weasly scumbag guy on The Rockford Files.
jcollins
May 18, 2009 at 11:29am
Using the Pirate Bay precedent, I would not be suprised to see Danger Mouse getting sued by the RIAA due to aiding and abetting piracy by providing blank CDR's...
Jox
May 18, 2009 at 10:35am
Who the hell is Danger Mouse? Sounds like a Saturday morning cartoon from the '70s.
-Jox
evolution76
May 18, 2009 at 9:20am
Even if you make an album, it will show up on a P2P site sooner or later
The Absence of Evidence is not the Evidence of Absence
linux_dork
May 18, 2009 at 8:40am
Pros: Everyone will think they're funny and clever.
Cons: No-one is going to buy it.
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