by Andrew Johnson - Jul. 22, 2009 04:01 PM
The Arizona Republic

An East Coast karaoke-disc producer has filed a federal lawsuit
against 15 Phoenix-area karaoke jockeys and bars for alleged trademark infringement and unfair competition.

Charlotte, N.C.-based Sound Choice Studios Inc. could potentially seek millions of dollars in statutory damages, lost profits and attorneys fees, but has not served the defendants yet because it is seeking a deal where they would buy legal copies of the discs.

Sound Choice claims the businesses infringed on its trademarked logos that appear on its media by using pirated copies of its discs or computer hard drives preloaded with illegal copies of Sound Choice karaoke music.

The alleged piracy has nearly forced Sound Choice, other disc manufacturers and some karaoke jockeys in the Phoenix area out of business, according to the lawsuit filed July 14 in U.S. District Court in Phoenix.

Kurt Slep, chief executive officer of Sound Choice, said his company became aware of the defendants' alleged activity through tips from karaoke businesses and by sending "investigators" to karaoke venues in the Phoenix area.

Statutory damages for willful copyright infringement can cost up to $150,000 per act and up to $2 million for willful trademark infringement.

Slep said the number of alleged violations depends on how many karaoke systems each defendant uses. He estimates there is about $1 billion of pirated Sound Choice karaoke music in use across the industry.

Music industry executives have complained for several years that digital downloads and online file-sharing programs have made it easier to violate trademarks and copyrights. Karaoke business executives say they have been affected, too.

Slep and others say such hard-drives loaded with thousands of songs are readily available for sale on eBay, Craigslist and other Web sites. He estimates 90 percent of karaoke jockeys and venues are using some pirated music.

Some business owners disagree with methods used by Sound Choice and other disc manufacturers.

Sound Choice in the past has sent threatening letters to bars saying they could face hefty fines and lose their liquor license for allowing karaoke jockeys using pirated music to operate in their establishments, said Ernest McCullar, a Valley karaoke disc jockey.

McCullar's business, Wired for Sound, has lost clients as result of Sound Choice's "scare tactics," he said.

McCullar is one of the defendants named in Sound Choice's lawsuit, which alleges the manufacturer observed his business infringing on its trademarks in March at the Purple Turtle Sports Bar & Grill in west Phoenix. The bar is not named as a defendant in the lawsuit.

McCullar disputes the claim.

Debora Verdier, an attorney with Sanders & Parks P.C. in Phoenix who specializes in music copyright and trademark law, said venues that host karaoke jockeys using pirated content can be found liable for infringement.

Under federal law, a business can be found guilty of "contributory" infringement if it provides a forum in which infringement is allowed to take place and if it has control over the equipment or discs a karaoke jockey uses at its site, she said.

Verdier added that determining such liability requires a "highly fact-intensive analysis" of a venue's knowledge and typically is decided on a case-by-case basis.

The bars and restaurants Sound Choice names in the suit are ones that allegedly were operating their own karaoke systems as opposed to venues that were hosting karaoke shows put on by other businesses.

Sound Choice's suit alleges only trademark infringement, but Slep said the company also is considering pursuing copyright infringement of the actual music it produces.

Eric Godfrey, owner of Starz Karaoke, which puts on karaoke shows at mostly East Valley establishments, said he hopes Sound Choice's lawsuit will raise awareness about infringement, which has hurt his business.

"I am hoping that the impact will be that some of the companies who are doing business illegally will go out of business," said Godfrey, who helped start the Mesa-based United States Karaoke Alliance in 2007 to combat piracy, among other things.

Godfrey, who is not named in the suit, said it is hard for legally operating karaoke shows to compete with disc jockeys using pirated music.

Saturday, Jun. 06, 2009
By Sean Gregory

To Koma Gandy, the folks who mix her favorite tunes were always like the Wizard of Oz. "You go out to this party and the deejay is this mysterious entity behind a wall, where all this magic happened," says Gandy, 34, who lives in Brooklyn, N.Y. "I've always wanted to see how the magic was constructed." Thanks to the recession, Gandy and many others are finally getting a chance to connect with their inner-MC. After she lost her hedge fund job in December, Gandy, a Harvard undergrad who also has an MBA from Georgetown, made a list of the things she's always wanted to do, if a lifetime of work and achievement and climbing up the corporate ladder don't get in the way. Near the top of the list: learn to rock a party with a turntable. "I figured, now is better time than any to do this,' says Gandy. "It might be my last chance. And I don't want to be one of those people, at the end of life, who says, 'I wish I had gone for it."

So Gandy enrolled at DubSpot, a New York City deejay school. She has already taken two introductory courses, and just signed up for three more. Thanks to the many young professionals like Gandy whose careers are now at a crossroads, DubSpot's enrollment has doubled this year, to around 250. "We've heard from students, time and time again, that they're feeling it's no longer just about money," says Dan Giove, founder and president of DubSpot. "People are longing for happiness through being creative." (Watch TIME's video "Hip-Hop in China: Busting Rhymes in Mandarin.")

New York is not the only city enjoying a deejay boomlet. In San Francisco, the D4LIFE Academy's student registrations are up 40% over the last 12 months. Sasha Tosic, founder of DJ4LIFE, also says enrollment has risen in Los Angeles, Chicago and Las Vegas. Robb Smith, owner of Central Florida-based FAME training school, has seen a 20% jump in deejay certifications this year. Aspiring deejays are flooding the schools, and flooding the market. "It's a lot easier to find a deejay these days," says Mark Rankin, who trains deejays in Chicago.

At these schools, students learn the technical aspects of the trade, as well as the basics of, say, running a wedding. One lesson from Rankin's classes — if you're going to announce a cake cutting, make sure the photographer is in the room. "You'll be surprised how many beginners forget little things like that, and these little things make a big difference," says Rankin. Smith actually compares deejay school to medical school. "Just because you have all the surgical equipment doesn't mean you're ready to do surgery," Smith says. Er, playing music isn't quite like a brain operation, correct? "If you have ruined the biggest day in the bride's life, to her, it's like screwing up brain surgery," Smith responds. The instructor says he does not offer a course in bridezilla management. "If I did, I'd be a millionaire," he says.

What's the appeal of being a deejay? For one, the occupation can stroke your ego. "To see everyone having a good time, to get a reaction from them, that's the thing I like," says Sean Williams, 29, who lost his postal service job in July and now deejays in the Bay Area (stage name: DJ Padd). "You can control everyone.' You can also pick up the basics in a month or two, and schools aren't ridiculously expensive: Rankin, for example, charges $600 for a month-long class in Chicago. A five-month intensive course at New York's DubSpot goes for $1,695. Not cheap, but perhaps better than a $100,000 graduate school tab for a career that is evaporating.

Some people, like Gandy, take these courses for therapeutic, rather than practical, reasons. "It's really nice to have someplace to go to forget about all that other stuff," says Gandy, referring to her layoff and search for another full-time job. Others play tunes for the extra income. Tony Colvin, who lives in Aurora, Colo., lost his job at a Dow Jones pressman last August. "Deejaying was a pipe dream," says Colvin, 44. "But once I got out of Dow Jones, I really wanted to give it a go." He bought $5,000 worth of equipment, and spent another $150 or so on a class. The problem: as more people look to deejaying for extra cash, the oversupply will drive down the number of work opportunities for aspiring MCs, and the fees they can command. "Business is a little slow right now,' says Colvin, who also suffered a neck injury from an auto accident last month, making the job tougher. He has yet to make back his deejay investment. "I'm like a fireman waiting for a call," he says.

And though Gandy doesn't envision her career path veering from hedge fund worker to full-time club deejay, she's not writing anything off at this point. "Stranger things have happened," says Gandy, who has also launched a small business strategy firm since being laid off. "I never thought I'd lose my job, and I did. All these people out there are now reinventing themselves. Why not reinvent yourself as a deejay?"

Zac Bissonnette

Jun 9th 2009 at 6:30PM

The deejay business would seem to be as vulnerable to the recession as anything: When people are short on cash, isn't clubbing one of the first things to go?

Maybe, but apparently quite a few Junior Vazquez wannabes are hoping that the market will turnaround. Time reports that enrollment at NYC deejay school DubSpot has doubled in the past year, as laid-off financial wizards realize that money isn't everything, and take a shot at a dream career.

According to Time, "New York is not the only city enjoying a deejay boomlet. In San Francisco, the D4LIFE Academy's student registrations are up 40% over the last 12 months. Sasha Tosic, founder of DJ4LIFE, also says enrollment has risen in Los Angeles, Chicago and Las Vegas. Robb Smith, owner of Central Florida-based FAME training school, has seen a 20% jump in deejay certifications this year. Aspiring deejays are flooding the schools, and flooding the market."

And there's the problem: Demand for deejays is stagnant at best and the supply is increasing. And while the DJ courses are surprisingly affordable, the equipment needed to start your own business can be expensive.

If it's something you're passionate about, it might be worth a try. But as a way to make ends meet after you've lost a job, deejaying is pretty low on the list. It just takes too long to earn a return on your investment.

But if you're still interested in exploring a career as a DJ, there are a number of resources out there including the obligatory DJing for Dummies. But like most glamor jobs, there's too much of a disconnect between supply and demand for it to be a lucrative career choice. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, "Median hourly earnings of announcers in the radio and television broadcasting industry were $11.52."

If TV and radio announcers earn so little, how much can you possibly make playing "American Pie" at weddings?

Source

Everyday we hear of layoffs, bankruptcy and other bad economic news. The one thing that remains constant and even seen improvements are the local bars, pubs and brewery.

Are bars recession proof?

It is a given that people are going out less, but still beer sales have increased. Some have even increased in the double digits.

Chip McElroy — president of Austin’s Live Oak Co., said "People are not giving up their quality beer..."

Paul Gatza, director of the Brewer’s Association, said Southern and South Central U.S. brewers have seen about 16 percent growth over the previous year.

There is also a Texas bill that could be passed later this year. If passed, sales could sky rocket even more. The proposed bill allows Texas craft breweries to sell ale directly to patrons, a change that brewers say could boost revenues and allow breweries to more fully develop tourism as part of their business models.

source: http://rss.msnbc.msn.com/id/29382588/

03-02-2009

Ahhh, Circuit City. Where service is state of the art! The chain of electronics retailers -- currently liquidating at a furious rate -- will be all but defunct as of Sunday, March 8. The "bulk" of the stores still left open are targeting this as their last day.
Although the chain very nearly ruined one of my favorite songs (The Cars' "Just What I Needed") by employing it as their jingle, I have a soft spot in my heart for the red-themed Big Box location. I frequented it long before Best Buy Co., Inc. (NYSE: BBY) was in my world, I bought my first laptop there, and it was my CD shopping destination of choice in the late 1990s. Thank you, Circuit City employees, for never laughing at my purchase of the latest from NSYNC, the Backstreet Boys, Mandy Moore, or others.So, for the remaining few days, you can traipse through the skeletal shelves of your neighborhood Circuit City, reflecting on times past, scooping up a copy of American ! Pie for six bucks, or hoping that big-ticket item is still waiting for you at 70% off. Many stores are even selling their industrial shelving equipment. After all, everything must go.
Meanwhile, Best Buy stands alone, but does it matter? Last week, Brian White asked whether Best Buy will surge to renewed prominence with its last true competitor in the dust, or if it will continue to suffer at the hands of Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) and Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT).
Beth Gaston Moon works for WeSeed.com, "The stock market for the rest of us." The above comments are not intended as trading or investment advice.

Oh you thought they've been dead. Well they're definitely dead now that Pioneer have stopped all laser disc player productions as of January 14, 2009. Laser Discs were the predecessor of DVD Players. These were heavy duty machines that uses 12 inch discs. Those babies were priced at over $1300.00 MSRP and people were buying these like mad crazy.

We can hear all Asian people screaming "NOOOOOOO!!!!"

Pioneer is stopping the production of their LD players, the DVL-919, DVK-900, CLD-R5 and DVL-K888. Pioneer sold over 3.6 Million LD players in Japan from 1981 to 2002.

Sources:
http://gadgets.boingboing.net/2009/01/14/all-laserdisc-player.html
http://www.akihabaranews.com/en/news_details.php?id=17346
http://i.gizmodo.com/5130944/pioneer-stops-making-new-laserdisc-players-finally-concedes-to-vhs

The big news on February 13, 2009 hit the TV world by storm. Pioneer Corp, one of the first Plasma brands, is stopping all plasma production. They will no longer manufacturer their quality driven plasma TVs. Due to the lack of demand for plasmas, Pioneer let go 27% of its workforce, equally to about 10,000 jobs globally.

It shut down 2 overseas plasma assembly and distribution centers in California and Britain. Its Japanese factory was minimized by 6,000 workers. With a net loss of $1.4 billion US, its operating revenue declined 38.8 percent.

Not only did the reduction hit Pioneer’s TV division, the cut affected throughout other departments such as Pro DJ and car audio. "Since the U.S. financial crisis and ensuing global downturn, our sales of car electronics products and flat-screen TVs plunged worldwide. We were severely hit by battered consumer sentiment," said Michiko Kadoi, another Pioneer spokeswoman.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090212/ap_on_bi_ge/as_japan_pioneer

About Us

New Orleans

Houston

Phong Le Company started in 1979 as a local music store for Vietnamese immigrants in the New Orleans, Louisiana area. We began to distribute Vietnamese and other Asian karaoke Laser Discs in the 1990s. We are now an established business with a 10,000 square foot store front. As technology has enhanced, new forms of karaoke discs appeared on the market such as DVDs, VCDs, and CDGs. CDGs has become a staple in American karaoke music. Over 250,000 American karaoke music songs are currently available at our store. This new wave of entertainment brought forth a generation longing to sing like their favorite singers. That is what we have to offer - a chance, A SELECTION to be your favorite singer, from Britney Spears to Faith Hill, from Nickelback to Elvis. People of all ages, races and genders never tire of singing, especially singing karaoke.

• We also specialize in karaoke hardware such as karaoke players, karaoke microphones, amplifiers and mixers, and DJ equipment. We have a certified technician who can help anyone configure a fabulous karaoke system. Everyone at Phong Le Co. is here and ready to help you, the customer, with anything that you need. Just give us a ring at 1.800.535.4232 or click on the LIVE HELP icon to chat with a live customer representative.

AFTER HURRICANE KATRINA:
We have moved to Houston, TX. Please visit us at our new location at

Phong Le Co.
Mega Karaoke DJ Center
14037 WESTHEIMER RD.
HOUSTON, TX 77077
(281) 988-7988

Our Philosophy about Karaoke
Music has and will always be part of everyone's lives. Whether it is classical, rap, hip-hop, reggae, pop, rock, you will never meet anyone who has never sung, or hummed a song. Everyone can sing love songs, sad songs, rock songs, and popular songs. Our philosophy comes from this revelation.

• Our philosophy involves the family. Families before had entertainment game nights. Well they should have KARAOKE NIGHT. By having these nights, it brings the family closer and connects generation gaps between children and adults. Karaoke can bring relatives and friends together by throwing parties or reunions.
• Furthermore, karaoke is a great learning tool. Little kids can sing children songs to learn how to read. Cultural kids will able to learn how to read their native language better by singing their native songs. Ethnical adults will be able to learn English easier.

Press Release

Your Karaoke Specialist Singing is a favorite pastime for most individuals whether you can sing or not. The invention of Karaoke brought forth a new wave of performers and fun, nightly entertainment regardless of age. Phong Le Karaoke (95 Westbank Expressway, Gretna, 366-5758) is a retailer of Karaoke music and equipment for over 25 years. Specializing in professional Karaoke setups for business and home entertainment systems, this Westbank family is supplying Louisianaians and Mississipians. “We have a philosophy about karaoke. We believe that by bringing karaoke home to your family, you’re not only creating a fun and lively atmosphere but you’re also bridging the gap between the young and old. You can enjoy today’s music with your kids and your kids will be able to like the music you grew up to. The idea of bringing your family closer together makes karaoke a big hit,” says Phong Le, owner. “Karaoke is also a great learning tool. We have customers teaching their children learn to read by karaoke. Put in their favorite song and have them follow the lyrics on the TV. It’s that easy.” Karaoke originated in Japan and made its way to the United States in the 1980s. Karaoke is an abbreviation of Japanese words: "kara" comes from "karappo" meaning empty, and "oke" is the abbreviation of "okesutura," or orchestra. Karaoke is now in a form of compact disc aptly named CD Graphics or CD+Gs. The graphics are the lyrics that appear on the TV screen. Most CD+Gs are instrumental versions of popular songs with background vocals during the chorus of the song. Guide vocals are offered for certain songs to help singers learn the song. We do not have a small corner of karaoke music. The whole store is filled with karaoke music. Over 200,000 songs are available in our store. All our songs are on computer databases that we access or customers can access to look up songs and artists. Furthermore, our website is completely updated with the newest releases on karaoke and has a shopping cart. Online ordering and phone orders are taken at any hour of the day,” explains Le. “Service is a big priority in our store. If our customers are not happy, we’re not happy. We will go to lengths to provide the utmost service and courtesy. We take pride in our service.” Along with the extensive karaoke brands and CD+Gs, Phong Le Karaoke retails karaoke, players, wireless microphones, amplifiers, mixers, speakers, professional Pioneer DJ equipment and all sorts of devices. In addition is courteous service, Phong Le Karaoke’s prices are competitive to national karaoke companies. Great service and great deals are mottos at this specialty store. “Karaoke music is not complete without proper karaoke equipment. Our technicians are able to help anyone configure their dream singing system. We are authorized dealers for industry leaders such as Pioneer, JVC, VocoPro, Shure, Crown, Cerwin-Vega, and many more. We want our customers to know that they do not need to go anywhere else for their karaoke needs. We are here.”

Citysearch is coming to Mega Karaoke DJ Center on May 10, 2008 for a video shoot. Citysearch.com will be interviewing the staff at Mega Karaoke and will always interview in store customers. Video shoot begins at 12 noon and will start with interviews and end with a professional overview of Mega Karaoke DJ Center.