Date: Fri, 7 Apr 2000 10:38:06 -0230
Sender: Irish Traditional Music List 
From: Bill McKim 
Subject: Re: [IRTRAD-L] copyright

Music Police: Good morning, mam, We are with the Music Police and we want to talk to you about your cat.

Mrs Murphy: My cat, what's the matter with my cat?

MP: Well mam, our records show that you have a cat.

MM: Yes I do, nis name is Danny, but that's not against the law to have a cat, is it?

MP: No, mam, but it appears that you nave not paid your modest traditional music licence fee of $23.97 for that cat and we are here to collect it, along with a $10.37 late fee, and $16.72 administration fee.

MM: I'm sorry, I did not know about this "traditional music fee" . What's it all about?

MP: Mrs. Murphy, I's sure that would not want to deprive the composers of traditional tunes a legitimate financial return in their compositions. You would not want large corporations to profit from the work of these poor starving musicians, would you?

MM: I never really thought about it, but I suppose not, but what's that to do with my cat?

MP: Yes man. That's the problem, many people nave never really thought of it, and as a result, many starving musicians are being deprived of a fair return on their compositions.

MM: I still don't understand?

MP: Well, mam, just think about it. Fiddle strings can be made of cat gut. So you could kill your cat and make a fiddle. Then you could use that fiddle to play a traditional tune written by a traditional musician. and s/he woud never see a penny for the all that work.

MM: What! Me kill Danny Boy! I'd never do that. I love Danny.

MP: Yes man, that's what you say now, but you could. And that's then problem. So. Just in case, the regulations state that you must pay a traditional music cat licence fee, Oh, by the way, what did you say the name of you cat was?

MM: Danny Boy

MP: Sorry mam, that'll be another $115.00.