DJs/Remixers song rights a problem?

[Dimension Zero]

I was wondering how many remixers here have been frustrated with the rights they have with their mix after they remix someone else’s song. I have seen a lot of remix contests for major label artists and I know personally I haven't been motivated because:

1) I have a slim chance of winning the contest. If I spend a couple of months working on a great mix of a major label song, and then I loose, I will have a great mix I can't show anybody and two months of "practice."

2) Say I do win the contest, well, then I loose the rights to the song under most major publishing contracts. I feel that remixes are usually 90% the remixers and 10% the original artists yet I use all control.

I entered a remix contest for the Public Enemy Revolverlution album. Luckily, my remix was selected by Chuck D and published. However, I had to sign my rights away to their major publisher. No publishing royalties or any type of publishing control.

I don't feel like entering any remix contests anymore because it takes a lot of effort to make a good mix. If you don't win the contest, all that effort has gone to waste since it's not the remixers song. I would be much more inclined to do remixes if I actually owned the song after the remix was finished so I could do whatever I wanted to with it. I don't understand why artists don't allow this. It's a great promotional opportunity for them to have a remixer promote their work for free. I think people hold onto their song rights too tightly.

Any other remixers found this to be a problem? If so, please reply to this thread, I'm interested to see if I am the only one that feels like this.

I'm also putting my money where my mouth is and fighting the trend here:

www.mixkits.com

Monty

[masmit]

Well, this goes to the traditional view that the production or remix is a totally separate copyright entity from the song itself, production and remixing being 'arrangement', rather than 'composition'.

As someone who has both written songs produced (and remixed) by others, and who has produced songs written by others, I'd have to say it seems fair enough, to me. Traditionally, song writing is considered to comprise words and melody, though of course, we all know that there's chords and so-on as well, but as has often been said, nobody buys chords, just like nobody buys a kick drum sound.

In fact, what is it that you signed away? Was it actually song writing rights, or simply any claim to a production royalty for your remix. If the latter, it's kind of unfair, especially if you hadn't agreed to it beforehand, if the former, it's just normal.

Cheers, Mark

[Dimension Zero]

Yes, it's signing away writers rights. Which, you are right. It is normal, but should it be? It's turned into a really heated topic on an OMD called 1Sound.com if you are interested:

DJs/Remixers song rights. Is copyright out dated?