Copyright Issues and SGM Recordings

    We have recently become aware that some sellers (especially at flea-markets, as well as on some of the auction websites) are making and selling "bootleg" (read illegal) copies of SGM recordings from many groups. We (the SGM groups) all know the products are illegal because either we, or our record companies, maintain sales records for products legitimately ordered by reputable resellers.

    The sellers offering the bootlegs have not bought any product from any of us, and in the case of  "in-house recordings" (works released by the individual artists on private labels) there is no other place they can legally be bought. Some have even gone so far as to release earlier LPs on CD, using original LP Cover art.

    These products are of inferior quality, and they do not reproduce the original sound found on those recordings. Often, there are "scratch" noises as well. In the Inspirations' case, one of the current crop of illegal CDs is our fourth recording; 'What A Wonderful Time' released in 1967. This recording has never been legitimately available on CD.

    We know who some of the individuals responsible for these illegal products are, and many groups are now comparing notes on those we discover to be responsible. These crooks (and they are crooks!) are sophisticated enough to be approximating the actual covers, barcodes and even the printing on the CD discs. Modern computer duplication software and hardware make it almost child's play to do this type of reproduction, but it does not make it legal or ethical.

     Federal law prohibits copying of any copyrighted work, and the penalties are stiff. Copyrighted works include all intellectual property (a fancy term for recordings, videos, sheet music, songbooks, books, etc., that were not produced at least a  specific number of years ago. For example; there are a lot of early Blackwood Brothers, Statesmen, Speer Family, LeFevres, Oak Ridge Quartet, etc. recordings that are still copyright protected even though the actual groups are no longer traveling.

    To simplify the actual code, "If you don't own it, you may not copy it, even for uses that may seem noble (" just helping out a friend", "just a few copies for our choir to sing", etc")
NOTE: Many, but not all, hymns in Church Hymnals may now be public domain, and if that is the case, that info normally will be noted somewhere on the page. Public domain songs may be copied, unless the work is an arrangement that is under copyright.

     Another often overlooked consideration is that if the groups are not receiving the benefit of their work, payrolls become more difficult to meet, songwriters get no deserved royalties, and the effect moves through each person/company involved. Please be aware of this when buying your favorite group/singer's music. You can make a difference.

By ordering directly from the actual groups, you are helping them to continue traveling,
and we all sincerely thank you for your understanding and support.