Musescore patched "Unauthorized use of Copyrighted Content"

[dayoshiguy]

It says I have a banned plugin and that they very angery lol

[dayoshiguy]

[dayoshiguy]

what tf is the point of musescore if they pull shit like this... They want us to just stare at the sheets and not use them? wtf? What tf are they thinking lol I bet they picture the police showing up at my house and saying sir you are under arrest for the illegal printing of piano music

[Apeii050]

I got this today too. Should I be concerned about the whole reported to law enforcement thing? I uninstalled just in case but is there any confirmation that its an actual threat?

Musescore sucks now tbh

[Xmader]

I got this today too. Should I be concerned about the whole reported to law enforcement thing? I uninstalled just in case but is there any confirmation that its an actual threat?

Musescore sucks now tbh

They are just scaring you to make you stop using this script. see https://github.com/Xmader/musescore-downloader/issues/42#issuecomment-717531853

[Apeii050]

Well, I dunno. Considering they are partnered up with some serious companies and google knows everything, so I don't reckon I want to risk it, mainly because getting involved in legal issues would be very bad for me atm. I think your script is awesome, so keep at it, but I don't reckon I'll be using it until I get a little more clarification on the issue. I suppose I can only hope for the best at this point. Edit: Plus the warning also prevents you from actually using the script.

[Xmader]

fixed in v0.11.2

[popyd10]

The "Unauthorized use of copyright content" message appears a few seconds after page loading even after new update.

[Apeii050]

Just out of curiosity, can they actually send police? I having anxiety about the whole things, silly as that may sound. This issue sounds pretty legit. Whether it's okay or not, the law is the law and this plugin does seem to breech it.

Also, Xmader, I noticed you had a Musescore alternative website, wont that eventually suffer the same legal issues Musescore had to face?

[sealsrock12]

Just out of curiosity, can they actually send police? I having anxiety about the whole things, silly as that may sound. This issue sounds pretty legit. Whether it's okay or not, the law is the law and this plugin does seem to breech it.

Also, Xmader, I noticed you had a Musescore alternative website, wont that eventually suffer the same legal issues Musescore had to face?

I don't think so. This is because the musescore software itself is under the GPL license, which allows others to do almost anything with it. Even though the musescore dot com website is using proprietary code, Xmander is completely allowed to make their alternative as long as they aren't using any of musescore dot com's code.

[Apeii050]

I don't think so. This is because the musescore software itself is under the GPL license, which allows others to do almost anything with it. Even though the musescore dot com website is using proprietary code, Xmander is completely allowed to make their alternative as long as they aren't using any of musescore dot com's code.

Code isn't the issue here, it's the songs themselves. This script gives access to downloading the files, which according to Musescore is breaking the law. And when I am talking about Xmaders alternative, I mean legal issues such as big music companies demanding compensation for infringement.

[Xmader]

There are no such "copyrighted contents" at all.

As you know, scores on musescore.com are all user uploaded. (Except for the newly added "official scores", which this script cannot cover #40. They are actually from UltimateGuitar's site)

According to Musescore's term of use (https://web.archive.org/web/20200707121931/https://musescore.com/legal/terms), "Musescore does not claim any ownership rights in User Generated Content…", Musescore does not hold any copyrights.

[Apeii050]

MuseScore doesn't hold the copyrights, however, they are responsible for maintaining the legal stuff concerning songs on their website with copyrighted content. It is for this reason that I believe their threat is serious.

[sealsrock12]

I don't think so. This is because the musescore software itself is under the GPL license, which allows others to do almost anything with it. Even though the musescore dot com website is using proprietary code, Xmander is completely allowed to make their alternative as long as they aren't using any of musescore dot com's code.

Code isn't the issue here, it's the songs themselves. This script gives access to downloading the files, which according to Musescore is breaking the law. And when I am talking about Xmaders alternative, I mean legal issues such as big music companies demanding compensation for infringement.

Sorry, I was talking about LibreScore, the musescore alternative that @Xmander is creating. To my knowledge, LibreScore isn't hosting any copyrighted songs nor taking anything from musescore dot com.

There are no such "copyrighted contents" at all.

As you know, scores on musescore.com are all user uploaded. (Except for the newly added "official scores", which this script cannot cover #40. They are actually from UltimateGuitar's site)

According to Musescore's term of use (https://web.archive.org/web/20200707121931/https://musescore.com/legal/terms), "Musescore does not claim any ownership rights in User Generated Content…", Musescore does not hold any copyrights.

They can take down the script by a cease and desist under the anti-circumvention law.

[GasimoCodes]

I am personally not using this script, I am just following the development and situation here. Based on my knowledge, most of MuseScore website threats are just threats which are very poorly put together to scare people from using any extensions. Based on my limited knowledge, saying the content is belonging to big companies and that they pay royalties to all the original scores uploaded by small individuals is pretty much false. Also many songs made by people are actually under licenses which should not allow MuseScore to monetize them at all. However MuseScore still does so by forcing users to pay for downloading it and by advertising their Pro subscription alongside it. Saying you will get reported to local police cant do them any good and in my opinion should backfire sooner or later. Also DCMA shouldnt apply to this extension code. If there will be a discord or some group for the new LibreScore website to rival MuseScore I would gladly pop right in. I hope this threatening is just a doing of few unsupervised people at MuseScore rather than entire company decision.

[org250]

I have a law degree, so I can enlighten you a little bit on this issue. The rights to the works of authors belong to the author of the work. This applies to both the music record and sheet music. Therefore it doesn't matter if the content is user-generated or not, the rights to a piece of music still belong to the author of the work, not to the transcribers of sheet music. If musescore does have agreements with copyright holders, then using this script may raise legal issues for users.

[Xmader]

Musescore cannot send a DMCA notice isn't it? because Musescore is not the copyright holder. Musescore would only be licensed to use them on the site (just like anyone buys a licence), not permitted to deal with the copyright things on behalf of the copyright holders.

(I found that I am repeating myself. Please read other posts first)

[Xoncia]

still not fixed. still same thing

[Xoncia]

@Xmader Unfortunately under the DMCA act, if only IF they have signed agreements WITH SPECIFIC AUTHORS of said musics they can invoke this DMCA rule. They do not have the agreements of people like CG5 and the living tombstone (FNAF) music. They cannot invoke the DMCA For those. But for famous people like Ed Sheeran and Shawn Mendes etc this copyright rule CAN be invoked

[Xoncia]

@Xmader They should only block authors with agreements to them. If they sell material without the permission of ALL and I SAID ALL authors of the sheet music in musescore, they can be put under legal battle for that. And Finally. if this "public domain scores and original works may still be downloaded for free" These may be free BUT, could they assure that they got the permission from all the authors that the said users transcribed the sheet music onto. AND even with the said PRO subscription, They allow DOWNLOADING OF MIDI FILES which means people COULD COPY them. Therefore making them useless for the transcribers, and the SAID "copyright holders"

[Xoncia]

keybase.io group ready. @Xmader sign up with your email i@xmader.com you will be granted owner on joining

[Xoncia]

everyone else send their email to dilanuthan66@gmail.com

[Xoncia]

i will admit people

[sealsrock12]

I have a law degree, so I can enlighten you a little bit on this issue. The rights to the works of authors belong to the author of the work. This applies to both the music record and sheet music. Therefore it doesn't matter if the content is user-generated or not, the rights to a piece of music still belong to the author of the work, not to the transcribers of sheet music. If musescore does have agreements with copyright holders, then using this script may raise legal issues for users.

This is why I am not using the script either, just following the development of it. Although if Musescore does have agreements with copyright holders, it is the respective copyright holder's jobs to file a lawsuit or a DMCA notice against this script.

[Xoncia]

It is fine, since they cannot physically arrest us

[Apeii050]

Whats to stop them from doing so?

[Xoncia]

hmm for one the PR failure. HEADLINES: MUSECORE ARRESTING FREE MUSIC USERS

[Xoncia]

hmmmmm???

[Xoncia]

your killin me, XD. Arrested for downloading music

[GasimoCodes]

I believe this is a scare tactic. By just having the script you arent doing anything illegal as the script doesnt contain any copyrighted content as of itself. Now about using it for downloading "actually copyrighted content" could invoke some questions but in my opinion no-one is going to put any resources into this. As long as you arent redistributing anything and are not speaking everywhere about doing illegal stuff I think nobody would really care. Its like when you download some tracks for your kid to listen to without paying the label company. I am not encouraging anyone to do that of course haha. Also there are the CC scores which technically shouldnt be under a paywall but I think there are people knowing more legal stuff than I do.

[Xoncia]

imagine a 13 year old, get arrested by police for THIS

[Xoncia]

theres probably children using this script who knows??

[GasimoCodes]

"12 Year old college student who wanted to practice his favorite Living Tombstone track in Synthesia facing charges by MuseScore for allegedly downloading music."

[GasimoCodes]

Besides, what data really museScore collects? They can get approximate location by IP, but thats about where it ends. Its not like they are putting their resources into an entire tracking investigation. Imagine using Onion Relay so you can access MuseScore

[Xoncia]

@Brokop exactly MY POINT

[Xoncia]

you know really its unfair

[GasimoCodes]

I wonder what would the MuseScore open-source OGs App PR team say on these threats the web department mods are doing. Still cant understand how a considerably big site like MuseScore has so unprofessional and may I say nearly comedic threats. If you are on youtube and actually use any copyrighted content, you are just either forced to mute it or get one out of three strikes. But MuseScore be like: Hold on kiddo, I see you got this very bad software I dont like. Doesnt matter whether you actually used it illegaly. You gettin reported to police bucko. Yeeah. What do you mean it aint illegal? It illegal cuz I represent big compan.

[Apeii050]

I was thinking more along the lines of, “Musescore users utilize script to download and redistribute music”. Whether we actually are redistributing or not, they could twist the story to be whatever they wanted, especially since musescore has big music companies behind it. UG is pretty scummy from what I know and i wouldn't put it past them to pull something like that. Plus, some users made their accounts with google, so if Musescore, or UG, is really bent on screwing people over, google could probably provide them with extensive data.

[Xoncia]

lol

[Xoncia]

cant pro users 'redustribute'?

[GasimoCodes]

YEA OF COURSE! YOU PAY US SO WE LOOK PAST ALL THE COPYRIGHT.

[GasimoCodes]

MuseScore would have to get a warrant first from law enforcement to get any data outta google or ISP.

[Xoncia]

yep, no

[Xoncia]

when visiting the website they could get our ips

[Apeii050]

Couldn’t they get the warrants if there is copyright infringement going on?

[GasimoCodes]

Public IPs will just point to the general city geodata.

[GasimoCodes]

And you cant get any dirt on your for just owning this extension at all. Thats a fact as long as this extension doesnt have any copyrightable data included. And as far as I know its based on previously public API which hasnt even been altered in a way to make this illegal.

[Xoncia]

yep. exactly...

[Xoncia]

its all buullcrap

[GasimoCodes]

They would have to make sure there is an infrindement going on in the first place and very extensively prove it.

[Apeii050]

But usage of the extension could be found through files on your pc, unless you do a hard pc wipe

Whether or not they actually can take you to jail, i’d prefer not to be involved in anything legal.