Programmers generate every possible melody in MIDI to prevent lawsuits

Re:Programmers generate every possible melody in MIDI to pre... by derefr on Friday February 28, 2020 @11:16AM (#22443790)

> Having a copyright on this particular piece specifically in a performance context may still be an interesting thought experiment

Not even a thought experiment: it’s essentially a 4’33”-long ambient acoustic sample. There are plenty of these (though not usually that long) in sample libraries, recording e.g. traffic sounds, or diner conversation, or crickets in a marsh in summer, etc. And those are certainly copyrighted, unable to be used without license.

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Re:Programmers generate every possible melody in MIDI to pre... by salawat on Friday February 28, 2020 @11:42AM (#22444026)

>Not even a thought experiment: it’s essentially a 4’33”-long ambient acoustic sample.

I would question any legal professional's authoritative standing to even advise on copyright of a work of music if they miscategorize a recording of ambient sound as a performance of a musical scoring consisting entirely of silence. The copyright doesn't apply to the ambient sound, but to the long quiessence of an artist at their instrument.

It demonstrates a complete blindness of the negative space of music, and a positivistic bias that has no place being enshrined in our legal system.

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Re:Programmers generate every possible melody in MIDI to pre... by jerf on Friday February 28, 2020 @11:19AM (#22443824)

Yeah, it's more a thought experiment you get in copyright class. You are right, legally the matter is fairly settled.

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