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Archiver > APG > 2005-02 > 1107991931


From: "Mills" <>
Subject: RE: [APG] Audiotapes. COM "Genealogy Front Door" closed!
Date: Wed, 9 Feb 2005 17:32:11 -0600
In-Reply-To: <000001c50ef9$922d8730$de173744@gatewaysystem>


Sandy, you're tinkering with the lid to a can of worms <no G here> but
perhaps its time--if not long overdue.

Given that most of the subscribers to this list are not aware of the
problems, an explanation is needed for background. I'll be as succinct as
possible.

Short explanation of problem:
For some years, Repeat Performance has been selling tapes of back
conferences (over 20 years worth) without paying royalties on those sales to
the speakers whose work they're selling. Both speakers and the sponsoring
societies recognize that these tapes are a valuable teaching tool for many
who cannot attend conferences. At the same time, both speakers and the
societies are unwilling to allow a commercial firm to continue profiting
from the sale of speakers' work without any recompense to the speakers for
their investment.

Short explanation of "solution":
A genealogical publisher has offered to handle the sales and royalty
payments of conference tapes, with RP to continue taping the conferences and
selling only current-conference tapes onsite. It is the understanding of the
speakers' and societies' reps that RP agreed to this about 2 months ago. At
that time, RP promised to cease its web sales and provide a database of its
catalog of 6,000+ genealogy tapes to the publisher who would handle sales
and royalty payments. RP at that point took "genealogy" off its gateway
webpage. However, as you have noted, everyone who types in a speaker's name
will still get a full list of all that are available and will be able to
place an order -- with no compensation to the speaker.

The issue continues ....

Elizabeth

-----------------------------------------------------
Elizabeth Shown Mills, CG, CGL, FASG, Chair
Genealogical Speakers Copyright Protection Committee



----------------------------
Sandy Clunies wrote:
<What's the latest on the negotiations with Bruno at Repeat Performance?

Today, I clicked the website and the topic GENEALOGY is now gone from the
front page. If I type in "Mills" under "author" - we still find Elizabeth
and Donna Rachal (tapes of hers from 1988-1995 before she married) - but the
average "new customer" wouldn't find any link to genealogy talks on the
front page.

I do see that ESM's pre-2000 tapes are removed, as she requested (although I
made the same request and all kinds of rotten old talks of mine as far back
as 1995 are still showing up!)

Reason for my concern today: I prepare a multi-media bibliography for
national lectures (NGS syllabus entries are due 1 March!) and I always
include tapes on the topic by other speakers, as well as myself.

If I direct a reader to simply "www.audiotapes.com" as in the past, there is
no front page message that GENEALOGY is even included in their collection.
They would have to know the speaker and type in that surname for a search.

What gives?>



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