HURRAY FOR BOLLYWOOD

The BBC reports that Indian musicians are protesting against the current practice of record companies in using their compositions, many of which were popular songs that appeared in musicals in the 1970s, as the basis of raunchy remixes. The musicians, who are upset that they lose out on royalties, have lobbied for a new law. They demand that royalties be paid and that the recording companies obtain permission before marketing the remixes. Additionally, they feel that the sexed-up versions are a distortion of the ideas behind their original songs. One musician said of his song: “It was such a melodious song, they've completely ruined it. It was a song sung by a woman who is waiting for her lover to return to her…Now they've remixed it and the accompanying video has near-nude women dancing in it. They've spoiled the true meaning."

The IPKat says: “If this occurred in the UK, the composers could have relied on the moral right to object to derogatory treatment of their work. The protection given under s.80 of the Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988 would cover remixes, these being ‘alterations’ of the music, but would not extend to the raunchy performances since the manner of a work’s performance falls outside the scope of moral rights protection”.

Indian Remix as a serious art form here
Shania Twain’s Indian remix here
Learn here how to play the sitar, tabla and esraj
Remix software here and here
Raunchy women here and here