The World Series of Drum Corps

[garfield]

Which brings up another interesting rights/money issue. Wonder how many rights holders to music might have a different set of criteria in dealing with a G7 corps as opposed to a DCI corps. Or to put it another way, the rights holders may have had dealings with DCI corps but now here comes this NEW entities corsp asking for permission.

This is another bomb that I was going to drop shortly, but this comes second-hand, not first.

My understanding is that DCI has music licensing rights "locked up" to prevent another drum corps circuit from licensing music.

IMO, this agreement was struck on the back of DCI's nearly 40 years of licensing and protecting composers rights.

Again, I have this second-hand and there was no equivocation - no other drum corps entity can use the same path to attain rights that DCI now uses.

[soccerguy315]

This is another bomb that I was going to drop shortly, but this comes second-hand, not first.

My understanding is that DCI has music licensing rights "locked up" to prevent another drum corps circuit from licensing music.

IMO, this agreement was struck on the back of DCI's nearly 40 years of licensing and protecting composers rights.

Again, I have this second-hand and there was no equivocation - no other drum corps entity can use the same path to attain rights that DCI now uses.

is what DCI does in this area substantially different than what DCA does regarding music rights?

[brians]

I cant believe DCI would give up their established shows and all the money they generate to the G7 in particular:

June 16: San Antonio

June 17: Dallas

July 11: Omaha

July 29: Murfreesboro

Unless, I am not reading this right and the G7 has set up competing shows in these places.

[Jeff Ream]

I can't wait to hear the buzz on this in Indy

[GUARDLING]

I'll take that bet, and you'd lose. And the Youtube issue is a sidestep; DCI can't police youtube any better than they can stop fans from recording shows with palm-sized recorders. There is a financial reality to litigating copyright abuses on YouTube. You can't correlate that to DCI's ability to stop the G7 from using past A/V in marketing the Series. In fact, I would suggest that DCI would have the G7 in their target, looking specifically for violations of copyright to attack.

Maybe youre right BUT you can reast assure that part of this was discussed by the 7 and a solution decided. WGI tries this all the time although in that case I think its time WGI guards and percussion stand up to them and say You know this is my guard or drum line. You are making a bundle off me , dont tell me I cant use my own produts to do what I want when I want.

MAybe thats part of this whole thing. Taking charge of your own destiny and controlling what is yours.

[Rifuarian]

From an argument standpoint, their claim seems to be a subtle way of saying "put up or shut up" for those who'd want to deny that there's a hierarchy in terms of drawing power. If, as some suggest here, the major corps AREN'T really all that special in terms of ticket sales, there's no harm in letting them do their thing, since they won't make that much more money.

But if someone wants to argue that allowing the seven to own nine contests of their own makes it impossible for anyone to get an audience that night, then they're more or less acceding to the G7's point re: their own box office potential. It's a manner of framing the argument in their favor, though I'm sure there are sound counter-arguments from the other side (though the "you owe us your work" argument is a little creepy to me, since I don't know anyone who'd feel comfortable with that working relationship).

Seems everything else that was in the original proposal is dead.

Whether the G7 are the top draw or not is beside the point. The idea that any group of corps should be allowed to create a competing circuit, complete with shows that are in the same markets and near the same dates as DCI shows, while remaining within DCI, is nuts. It's a flagrant violation of DCI's rules, and it flies in the face of all business logic . . . from DCI's perspective. With shows near the same locations, on similar dates, fans are going to choose one or the other. You won't have very many going to both. Can you imagine the sort of absurd marketing civil war within DCI this would create? Why should DCI allow this to happen?

Personally, I'd be thrilled if the G7 created another (completely independent) circuit. I'd even attend the shows so long as they aren't unbearably cheesy. DCI's monopoly on competitive junior corps, even though it was earned fair and square, is unhealthy. While a split could end up being disastrous for all parties, I think a little competition will ultimately be beneficial. But as things stand, the G7 seem to be to frightened of the potential risks to make the leap.

[G-Rott]

And from what I understand, G7 will simply perform at these already DCI events...and I suppose get paid what a normal DCI corps would get paid...

my concern...as others have mentioned...is slotting... when G7 and non-G7 compete at the same show...and the slotting could go either way depending on the slate of judges...could these really be fairly judged contests?

Edited August 10, 2010 by G-Rott

[JimF-LowBari]

I can't wait to hear the buzz on this in Indy

Can you say bad timing boys and girls? I knew you could.

[bluecoats88]

Re: the nine dates in question, is there language in the proposal that excludes all other corps from being in other shows those nights? Or is the objection that any other shows would suffer because these seven would be performing elsewhere?

Depends on if the two shows are in a close proximity. If the World Series Corps are performing in Texas and there's a show in Virginia with Boston, Blue stars, Colts, Spirit, Teal Sound, & Pioneer then I'm sure drum Corps fans in Virginia will go see the show that is near them regardless of if there's a World Series show in Texas.

Now if the World Series show is in Annapolis and this other show is in Virginia, then yes I believe the Attendance for the DCI show would suffer because more people would be drawn to the World Series show since Annapolis is in the same relative area as any show in northern virginia.

[garfield]

And from what I understand, G7 will simply perform at these laready DCI events...and I suppose get paid what a nbormal DCI corps would get paid...

my concern...as others have mentioned...is slotting... when G7 and non-G7 compete at the same show...and the slotting could go either way depending on the slate of judges...could these really be fairly judged contests?

Fogetaboudit. It's not going to happen. The G7 are NOT going to compete, or exhibit, with DCI in any show, anywhere, any time.

If you were a non-G7 director would you want to share the field with the G7 primadonas?