kpop

Musical plagiarism, misuse, and KPop

Posted on by elemonated

http://www.businessinsider.com/korean-singer-yoon-mi-rae-suing-sony-for-using-her-music-in-the-interview-2014-12

Basically, Tasha (legally, Yoonmirae, but I know her as the stage name Tasha and I like it), an old-school KPop/KRap star from the US is suing Sony for the use of her song “Payday” in The Interview. “Payday” is a great song, so I understand why they used it, and it makes sense in context when you read the lyrics. But, of course, the issue is that they didn’t get permission, and I’m pretty sure no SK star wants to be associated with something as belligerent to NK as The Interview. Especially if they don’t even technically have a stake in it, because Tasha is a quarter black, a quarter white, and from the US.

There have been a few weak responses surrounding this, including that she samples “a” Jackson5 song in “Payday”, and that Sony owns the rights to Jackson5 music, but I’m pretty sure, since no one I’ve read so far has been able to identify which song, it would fall under fair use because what’s sampled is too little to prosecute.

And anyway, music companies don’t even go after South Korean anymore because of the 2011 Korean Copyright Act, which opened up seemingly all copyrighted music to be used without the copyrighter’s permission. Whether or not this is only in-country (which I’m leaning towards) or not is unclear, though I’m sure it makes much harder for indie groups to succeed, which is unfortunate. This, of course, does not apply to Sony, because Sony is a Japanese company and the movie is a US movie; they still have to comply with international fair use laws and whatever they have in their system, and since the US is one of the only countries to fully recognize fair use, well.

With that in mind, there’s one more KPop-related scandal I wanted to touch upon. I’m not quite sure what the intention of the allegations are, since allegations against KPop stars don’t usually work out, and it can’t be publicity because taking on KPop fans is a bad idea (Mr. Bullock’s single is now rated 1 star on iTunes), but apparently YG is taking countermeasures against the allegations and it’s going to be fun to see a small guy take on one of the big three. It’s usually just Sony.

11 – Hitchhiker

Posted on by elemonated

SM…you crazy.

(but I think I like it.)

I think if I went into it like “Oh, I’m going to listen to acid house/weird trance” or “I’m about to watch something Japanese” I wouldn’t be as confused. But I went into it thinking “SM is a high-earning, conservative, tightly-reined company and would never put out something weir–what is this my fleshy processor is failing what.”

You’ve never been to a concert before?

Posted on by elemonated

Nope. I think when I was younger Avril Lavigne was playing at a state fair and my dad might have snuck me in for a bit. That doesn’t count. I kind of went to see Janelle Monae in Prospect Park when she was doing that $5 concert, but we were really late, and then my friends wanted to fuck around outside so I didn’t actually get in, so much as hang out in the park with them while she played.

Buuut I’m going to see Block B this Sunday! I’m super excited about that too 😀 I should go listen to some Block B stuff so that I’m not totally confused at the concert…I might even bother to learn a fanchant.

Not that after watching that I was any less confused. Ah well. It was fun, I do like Block B :3

If my parents don’t insist I stay home and do nothing, for my birthday I’m going to do EDX at Webster Hall, so I’ll drop something for that here too!

And in the fall…

I’m in love with this band. I actually pre-ordered their first album that came out last year. I don’t buy physical CDs and haven’t since I was like 13.

I’m hoping to see them in NYC in the fall. My boyfriend promised he’d buy tickets and I can pay him back later.I really, really hope we get the tickets. I would be the happiest thing, seriously.