WT copyright violation, using others' music as Kingdom Melodies??

by rebel8 18 Replies latest watchtower scandals

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  rebel8

  Does anyone remember being taught that the WTS got into trouble way back when for using someone else's music w/o permission? I swear I remember reading or hearing from the platform their excuse that they didn't remember the melody was used by someone else and it was an honest mistake. Something about them using parts of some other church's hymns in the Kingdom Melodies....something like, "A musician hears many songs and doesn't memorize them all. When composing his own music, it is an easy mistake to make to inadvertently include parts of songs he's heard into his own."

  I thought it'd be really great to mention that when I write them about the quashing of Quotes. You know, 'cause they're so worried about copyright compliance.
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  blondie

  I think part of the problem also was that certain people had been JWs when composing the music and the WTS did not get the legal rights and then these people left the WTS.

  I think that you can use up to 7 consecutive notes from another piece without having to consider copyright laws. I will check that though.

  The WTS also used tunes from secular sources that while not under copyright were considered "worldly" music. Actually in Russell's day they used quite a few of the hymns of that day.

  Blondie
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  caligirl

  I think there are a whole bunch of kingdom melodies that have "borrowed" from other sources.

  I was in a Barnes & Noble once when the background music they were playing filtered through my consciousness, and for a brief terrifying moment, I thought that they were playing kingdom melodies. But when I listened more carefully, I realized that it was very close, but off by a few bars. And, no, I don't know what it was, just that it was a piece of classical music that I normally would have found beautiful, were the enjoyment not marred by the unwelcome intrusion of the hack-job lyrics that had been added to the pilfered music.
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  Scully

  Farkel did a rendition of a Kingdom Melody that made it sound like the theme for the Looney Toons. That was priceless!
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  geevee

  At a meeting once, there was this guy who was a bit of a fringe dweller, who commented that some of the songs in the old song book were directly from christendom. He listed about 12 that were from Anglican, Protestant and other sources, with only a few minor changes. It astounded many, and didn't win him any favors for some time.
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  blondie

  In 1984 the WTS purged a lot of songs that were quite popular and changed the words to a couple of them. Many of the new songs added were impossible to sing and are rarely selected today.

  I think by now that some of the hymns and classical music they "borrowed" from are no longer copyrighted but it is dishonest.

  Blondie
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  Lady Lee

  gasp The website that Farkel had all his music on is down!!!
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  glitter

  "Keep Your Eyes on the Prize" is "Some Day My Prince Will Come" from "Snow White". <-->
  That "#Because Jehovah Created the Universe so grand....#" one is "When Irish Eyes are Smiling.
  
  "Myriads of Brothers" is "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer".
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  rebel8

  Are you kidding or serious? I haven't heard the Kingdom Melodies in so long, I can't tell if they sound similar to those songs.
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  vitty

  Glitter

  You are absolutely right, ive just been humming them LOL

  I used to think a couple, sounded like Christmas carols, cant remember which ones though !