Sheet Music Publishers Target Free Sheet Music, Guitar Tab Websites

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on March 27, 2006 - 11:54am.

New York - The Music Publishers' Association of the U.S. (MPA), whose members publish printed sheet music, recently confirmed that it has launched a campaign to shut down websites offering free sheet music and guitar tablatures. The MPA, whose members pay copyright holders and artists fees for the rights to legally publish sheet music, began taking actions against free sheet music and tab websites in December 2005. Most of these sites offer tablatures contributed by fans who figure out the notations themselves and submit them online for others who might wish to learn to play a particular song. Many of the notations offered have no legally-published sheet music counterpart. "While it is true that tablature for some of the songs on these sites have not yet been produced legally by a music publisher, it is the presence of the unauthorized free product that is largely to blame for that situation," the MPA said in a statement, adding that it believes "it is simply wrong and unjust that many illegal websites are able to make money, whether from selling advertising, other products or by other means, by giving away music that does not belong to them."
http://www.mpa.org/news/show/5
http://www.geocities.com/jff_77/nmh/twoheaded.html (Online tablature)