This is the problem and the proof thereof.

Let me start by asking, are artists fools?

Artists and songwriters are acting as fools that believe all the accounting and music business fairy tale stories they are told by almost everyone they come in contact with, including “advisors”, managers, lawyers, record companies, publishers, etc.

I have the follwing pages:

PIRACY AND NON PAYMENT FOR USE OF VENEGAS SONGS at
http://rafa_venegas.web.prdigital.com/piracy.htm

There are over 75 records in the market at present in American territory that include songs we (my famuly) own, No one (including Sony) has paid a single cent in royalties since we became owners when our songwriter died 13 years ago.

Venegas v. Sony Copyright Infringement Lawsuit at
http://rafa_venegas.web.prdigital.com/venegas_v_sony_lawsuit.htm

Sony has produced at least 24 records for the american market with our songs. These records have sold millions of copies and Sony has never bothered to request a license from or to pay a single cent in royalties. We sued them in 2001 and the case is more or less stalled for absolutely no valid reason.

Clearly this is the proof that artists and songwriters are being taken for a ride by the generally fraudulent record companies. But not only are the artists being defrauded. they act as if they do do not care about being defrauded.

Not a single artist or sonwriter organization or agent or lawyer or reporter has ever contacted me a a show of support or to inquire about the facts of our situation. After all, if no record company (zero of about 40 record companies that use our songs, including mighty Sony, the worst offender) pays us royalties, how can an artist expect honesty from their record company?

The point is this. If artists, most of whom have signed foolish and legally questionable contracts to begin with, do not care about our plight, they are not caring about their own. If they see proof that record companies hardly ever pay anyone (our data proves this) and do nothing about it, they are fools. If artists and songwriters do not support each other about what music publishers and record companies do (not pay royalties), their victimization will never end.

Said a Nazi era German:
One day they took away my neighbor to the concentration camp. Because of fear, I said nothing. Another day another neighbor was also taken away. Again, I said nothing. Then I was taken away. No one said anything. Then they took all my neighbors away.

Rafael Venegas
http://www.gvenegas.com

I think in the past I read that audit costs start at $50,000 and go up from there. That makes it out of reach for all but the top 1% of successful artists to even consider an audit. With the well known abilities of the cartels at creative number juggling, the idea that they won’t present correct absolute dollar-to-item figures, and the fact that they must keep two sets of books (one for the public that involves units shipped) and another so that the corporation and government can determine financial status for income and tax purposes, the average artist doesn’t stand a chance of getting an audit.

I wonder why that is so? Could it possibly be that they have something to hide?

PS: 2nd attempt at the validation sting.

Say it isn’t so! Who could imagine that. And by their own company, or at least the one Alen Klein put them in bed with. And then who could imagine the Beatles suing anybody, except perhaps each other or a wife or ex-wife.