Boycott Sony & BMG
 Corporate Multinationals, Sony and BMG, Have Stolen Rolando's Track
DJ Bliss Correspondence
January 2000

 

Boycott Sony / BMG

Resources:
summary  |  Jaguar  |  interviews  |  affiliates 
action  |  contact  |  media  |  mailing list |  links

Official Correspondence & Press Releases:
Mad Mike  |  Sony  |  UR  |  BMG  |  Backstage  |  430 West

Other Correspondence & Opinion:
TP  |  Agent Drew  |  Simon  |  Bliss

Jaguar Headlines

 

DJ Bliss Demands a BMG Recall
Boycott BMG and Its Affiliates
January 21, 2000

From: <Dj Bliss>
To: Strauss Zelnick, Thomas Middelhoff, Uwe Swientek, Oswald Lexer, Sascha Ritter, Biggi Hamer, Mathias Mangold, Regine Hofmann, Renegade Rythms, Feedback at BMG Backstage, Dirk Dreyer, Sony Canada, Sony Music Online
CC: Simon at Wirestation, Rave Data, Beat Seek, Underground Resistance (UR), Darren at Skinny, 430 West Records, New Music Express, Emperor Jones, Justi at XLR8R, Wired, Bleed at De-bug, Formic at NDH, Kompakt, Wax Records

Straus,

Thomas Middelhoff who is the CEO (therefore responsible for Bertelsmann's actions) will continue to receive emails. He may want to consider getting involved in this issue. I have cc'd your UK office in regards to this , but this is an issue with your COMPANY not with the UK office. You are stealing. We are aware of your affiliates --

  • Random House
  • Windham Hill
  • RCA Records
  • Arista Records
  • Deconstruction
  • Logic Records
-- and will boycott your products. I have cc'd the members of the press that have been documenting this issue since its beginning with Sony. I am sure that they will appreciate the updates. This really is a great media story. Major Corporation purchases stolen track. Please remember that this track is still available for sale from UR. I have enclosed a copy of 430 West's press release on this issue if you are not aware of it. I am an independent person not affiliated with 430 West / Submerge / UR. I am just very concerned and will continue this correspondence until I see justice has been done. I expect more then just a response to this letter. I expect ACTION. This action should be performed by both SONY and BMG. The actions that we expect include:
  1. Complete removal the said product.
  2. Payment of Licensing Fee and Royalties for all shipments have occurred to this point (including promos).
  3. Open apology in all major press (US, Europe, Asia)
  4. Provide publishing and licensing rights to Mad Mike and Rolando for the cover of "Jaguar" so this will never happen again.
This will not be the last you have heard from me,

David
Renegade Rhythms

NOTE: We received no response from this email.

 

Related Articles and Correspondence:
UR's Official Response to BMG  |  430 West Records Press Release  |   BMG Response: "You Don't Understand!"

 

BMG Expresses No Concern for Consumers
January 25, 2000

From: <Dj Bliss>
To: Strauss Zelnick, Thomas Middelhoff, Uwe Swientek, Oswald Lexer, Sascha Ritter, Biggi Hamer, Mathias Mangold, Regine Hofmann, Renegade Rythms, Feedback at BMG Backstage, Dirk Dreyer, Sony Canada, Sony Music Online
CC: Simon at Wirestation, Rave Data, Beat Seek, Underground Resistance (UR), Darren at Skinny, 430 West Records, New Music Express, Emperor Jones, Justi at XLR8R, Wired, Bleed at De-bug, Formic at NDH, Kompakt, Wax Records

Hello, I have received no response to my letter. I now understand how your company cares for it's consumers. What is Berelsmann and BMG's current action on this issue? You also forgot to inform us, how to contact Richard Griffiths. I have seen no public apology at this point.

This will not be the last time that you hear from me.
David
Renegade Rhythms

 

Related Articles and Correspondence:
BMG's Zelnick Responds to DJ Bliss  |  Wirestation Reporter Discovers BMG Coverup  |  430 West Records Press Release

 

DJ Bliss Responds to BMG
February 7, 2000

From: < Dj Bliss >
To: Clive Rich, Richard Griffiths, Regine Hofmann, feedback@bmg-backstage.co.uk, Sascha Ritter, Uwe Swientek, Thomas Middelhoff, Claudia Wagels, Markus Mmehlau, Sandra Von Heynitz, Strauss Zelnick, LaVerne Evans, Clemon Williams, Martina Gruendl, Matthias Mangold, Anja Burkhardt, Manuela Schwartz, Monika Stocker, Biggi Hamer, Katja Neese

Strauss,

I am sorry for the delay in my response, but I feel it my obligation as a consumer to contact you once again. I must first address that I am not harassing your senior corporate executives. I am a concerned consumer informing them of the illegal and immoral actions that their company has performed. That is why I have CC'd them again in regards to this issue as your company is still not acting with integrity.

I can not agree with your statement that your company acts with integrity and in accordance with the laws and contracts. I will elaborate for you. Today on BMG Germany's webpage , there is some information about it's release. If you would care to go to http://www.backpage.de/de/news/releases/1/ where your company has some information about this particular release in question. The page states this :

Am Original dieser Nummer von Aztec Mystique kam im Sommer niemand vorbei. Der Titel ist nicht nur der Höhepunkt eines jeden Sven Väth-Sets sondern der erste Technohouse Konsens Hit seit Jahren. Ausnahmslos jeder Top DJ - egal ob Techno, House oder Trance spielt die Nummer und die Publikumsresonanz sucht ihresgleichen. Da dieser Titel im Original nicht veröffentlicht wird, hat ihn ein Produzententeam aus Frankfurt nachgebaut und mit
einem Tranceremix versehen der einem die Haare nach hinten bläst.The Jaguar - ab 14.02. erhältlich! "

Which I have had somebody translate as this:

The original of this number from Aztec Mystique was not to be missed this summer. This title is not only the highlight of every Sven Vaeth set, but also the first Technohouse consensus hit since years. Without exceptions, every top DJ - no matter if into Techno, House or Trance - spins this song and the feedback from the crowd is without comparison. Because the original of this title will not be released, a production team from Frankfurt has re-recorded it and added a Trance remix which will blow your hairs away. The Jaguar - available on 02/14

Now feel free to correct any translation mistakes that may be present. Now I must first point you out to this webpage:

http://www.submerge.com/catalog/u_%20catalog.html#underground_resistance

Notice how the Track that BMG stole is UR049 and is only 2 releases back in the UR catalog. This is a new record for them. Also note that the company that is hosting this page, Submerge, does World Wide distribution of this track. Not only was this track available but it is still currently available.
Would you like to buy a copy?
Here, why don't you listen to both versions yourself , right now and see for yourselves, whether your company acts with integrity or not.

Here is the original version, you will need the Real Audio player to hear these, if your email reader does not support html links, then please paste these URL's into your Browsers location window.

http://www.submerge.com/real_audio/UR-049.ram

Here's is your stolen version:

http://www.backpage.de/imperia/md/audio/samples/type/2.ram

If you were referring to their not being a CD version available, then I can rest assure you that this is not the case. First, look at the Underground Resistance catalog link above, URCD-049 is available on CD with Jaguar on it! Plus , please read this press release ( http://www.RenegadeRhythms.com/ur/430press.html ) which indicates that their will be a full release with European distribution.

Now onto laws and contracts, you never had a contract with Rolando or Underground Resistance so I can not see clearly how you can state that you conduct your business with contracts. Would you care to show us the contract between you and the original publisher (Underground Resistance). If somebody purchase stolen merchandise without knowledge that it is stolen. The product itself, is still stolen merchandise. Upon the knowledge that one has the stolen merchandise, one would think that one would return it or they may be implicated in the entire affair? Correct? Just because you licensed a track from a label in cologne, which in turn had licensed it from a Frankfurt DJ who in turn DID NOT LICENSE IT FROM the original publisher (Rolando and Underground Resistance) does not make this a legal legitimate release. I have feeling that you are heading into logical fallacies at this point.

Now as to you providing a fair hearing with me. Well for one, as a consumer, I can see not legal action that I can take or I would be having a hearing with you. But, I feel that you mistook me for a member of Underground Resistance, which I am not. So, I will relook at this. I do not see how this could be a fair hearing. Would you be willing to provide the financial money for Underground Resistance's lawyers, because I can not see this hearing as being fair, when your company can drag this case on almost indefinitely with appeals, to the point of putting UR out of business. That is not what I would call a fair hearing. I agree with you, harassment would undermine my case and credibility, that is why I choose to communicate with you as a consumer to what I thought was a concerned CEO. I must have been mistaken that the Senior Executive officers would want to know that such actions are happening during such an important time between both of your companies ( http://www.nypostonline.com/business/23731.htm ).

Thomas Middelhoff brazenly said, " he wants to catapult his German media company into the top spot among music-industry players." bNow I would think that he would want to stop and wrong doings so as to ensure his ability to take it to the top spot. Does he think that the music industry players are going to allow him to gain the top spot by stealing others music. I think not.

Now as I indicated earlier in this email, I as a consumer , do not have an option to have legal action against your company, but what I can do , as a consumer is to ensure that I continue to Boycott BMG and it's associates (Epic Record, Columbia Records, Loaded Records, Creation Records, Incredible Records and Relativity). I can ensure that I keep providing the media with information in regards to BMG's actions. I as a consumer can ensure that this information is distributed as widely as possible. I can as a concerned consumer can not rest until I see justice, which I see as being these actions on your part:

  1. Complete removal the said product(http://www.backpage.de/de/news/releases/1/ ).
  2. Payment of Licensing Fee and Royalties for all shipments have occurred to this point (including promos).
  3. Open apology in all major press (US, Europe, Asia , Africa , & Australia))
  4. Provide publishing and licensing rights to Mad Mike and Rolando for the cover of "Jaguar" so this will never happen again.

I have included a list of other people who feel the same and have signed a petition against BMG and SONY. As I have said , I am not Underground Resistance, Submerge, or Rolando. I do urge you to contact them to work this out. Hopefully by following all of the outlined steps above. I for one , would like to see your company rise above what Sony did , and Act with Integrity and perform the required acts above.

A concerned Consumer,
David Bate
Renegade Rhythms

 

Related Articles and Correspondence:
BMG's Zelnick Responds to DJ Bliss  |  DJ Bliss's Top 10  |  Harris & BMG's Clemon Williams Converse

 

Please feel free to email Sony & BMG to voice your opinion.

 

Sign the petition at http://mycal.net/ifj/.

 
Renegade Rhythms home Boycott Sony/BMG
 TOP