From: Level42-request @ worldmachine.com (Level42 Digest) Subject: Level42 Digest V97 #180 _ ____ _ ____ _ _ ___ // //__ // / //__ // /__// __// //__ //__ \\_/ //__ //__ // /__ D I G E S T Level42 Digest Volume 97 : Issue 180 499 subscribers Today's topics: Thomas Dolby / Litigation Paul Fucito Dolby/Question of the Week Randall Collins Dolby? No Way! Frans Lundquist More info on Level 42 cover Lazlo Nibble Sorry Dolby, Sound Reduction sucks... Lazlo Nibble Swing Out Live Colin Campbell ------------------------------ Subject: Thomas Dolby / Litigation From: Paul Fucito Date: Sun, 29 Jun 1997 10:21:20 -0700 To follow up on the Dolby issue...First off, I agree, Dolby NR on cassette decks makes the music sound like it's being run through an old mono deck from 1979..... Thomas Dolby WAS taken to court by Dolby Labs in an effort to get him to change his name.... The court decided in favour of Thomas Dolby since this was his name and he wasn't selling / promoting the same product as the Dolby Company... Needless to say, he has been bitter ever since and I don't blame him... A simmillar case happened in the 1980's with Cheverolet and the Berretta Gun Company... Berretta sued Chevy after they released the Cheverolet Berretta and said it was a trademark violation... The court said that since Cheverolet was building a completely unrelated product (you'd have to be pretty stupid to confuse a gun and a car) than the Berretta Gun Company, that they could continue to build the car under that name... You can use any existing name if your product is unrelated. If I started an advertising agency and called it Level 42, I would be able to do it...If I formed a band and went professional with the name Level 42, there would be a problem...There are some exceptions to the rule however and that's a whole other ball of wax.. One last fact.... If a product name becomes part of the language so much that the people refer to all of the related products by the one name, the company may lose the trademark and it's competitors can then use it... Examples of product names that are very close to having this happen: Xerox, Kleenex, and Band Aid... How many of you have asked someone to "xerox" something for you? Or perhaps asked for a "kleenex" instead of a tissue... You have all said "I need a "band aid" instead of adhesive bandage. These product names have almost completely become a part of the english language and over time may become public domain..... Paul Fucito ***The legal information is based on US Common Law, much of which was derived from English Law so I would imagine there would be some simmilarities.... [or, if some nut started a network-based application development company called "Worldmachine Technologies Corporation", he could probably get away with it... =) -Eric] ------------------------------ Subject: Dolby/Question of the Week From: "Randall Collins" Date: Sun, 29 Jun 1997 10:01:45 -0500 Roxanne wrote: > However, I gotta ask all you Levelz out there. Who all uses that DOLBY > NR button anyways? It's supposedly one the best stereo functions ever, > but I NEVER use it! It's like listening to a live band and putting them > under a giant glass bowl. Or listening to a tape player that hasn't had > the head cleaned in 10 years! Just don't like the sound reduction thing. Dolby NR one of the best? Hardly! That technology has been around since the 70's and it should have gone out with the 8-track player. Dolby NR, or Dolby B, only reduces tape hiss at high frequencies (10 dB). Consequently, it also will reduce the high frequency content of your music. Like you, I never used it. Most decks uses Dolby C, which reduces tape noise over a wider range and the newest NR, Dolby S, is suppose to be the best, and I haven't read a lot about and the how it specifically works, but I believe it works on a compression/expansion principle, compacting the signal during recording which also compresses the noise and expands the signal (without the noise) during playback. I'm sure someone could correct me on that. Dolby NR (B) sucks. Speaking of which, does anyone know where I could get an old dbx 400x module or a dbx noise reduction tape deck? I have buckets of tapes I recorded in dbx back in the 80's and I want to be able to transfer most of them to my MD. There you go, Roxanne! Get a minidisc player! You can email me about this as I do not wish to ruffle the feathers of those anti-MD opponents out there in CD-R/DAT land. :) I'm glad I was able to read the comments of those who bought the latest Swing Out Sister CD. I almost bought it thinking that it would be like The Living Return. Maybe I can go to a record store that will allow you to listen before buying and seeing exactly what it's like. This brings up another question for debate. There are artist and groups that perform in a particular style and then suddenly, they put out a CD that's totally different or they may change their style all together. Some people may like that, some won't. My question is this: Do you think that performers, especially those who's sound you really enjoy, should change their format to something that you may not particularly like and would that make you less of a fan? I know that for me, and for other digesters, when L42 came with SATS, that funky, head-boppin' beat was not really there anymore.There format became more rock/pop. Now this doesn't make me less of a L42 fan but I do miss the old days! Can you imagine if L42 got back together and put out a slam jam brit funky CD like they use to? We would all have an orgasm!! Anyway, the floor is open for discussion. Right, then! Randall "I'm sorry, but this is abuse!" [fun tip for the day... go into your local Radio Smack and ask to see a tape deck equipped with Dolby A NR. Then, after confusion has set in, ask for their selection of Metal Type III tapes. =) -Eric] ------------------------------ Subject: Dolby? No Way! From: Frans Lundquist Date: Sun, 29 Jun 97 18:21:25 +0200 Roxanne wrote: > Yeah, I agree. However, I gotta ask all you Levelz out there. Who all > uses that DOLBY NR button anyways? It's supposedly one the best stereo Well, not me anyway. I prefer treble on my tapes, so no Dolby. Don't use either B or C Dolby. /Farbror Frans - http://www.lls.se/~frans ------------------------------ Subject: More info on Level 42 cover From: "Lazlo Nibble" Date: Sun, 29 Jun 1997 11:39:52 -0600 (MDT) > It's is very clear that this is a L42 cover. The inlay shows that > the song is written by : A. Gardner/M. Cantor/K. Gordon/R. Gould/W. > Badarou/M. King As I mentioned earlier, the piano part of Leaving me now > is used in this song. Is it an actual *cover*, or does it just use that sample? If it's a cover, what song are they covering? (The writing credit could easily apply to just the sample.) -- ::: Lazlo (lazlo @ swcp.com; http://www.swcp.com/lazlo) ::: Internet Music Wantlists: http://www.swcp.com/lazlo/Wantlists ------------------------------ Subject: Sorry Dolby, Sound Reduction sucks... From: "Lazlo Nibble" Date: Sun, 29 Jun 1997 11:42:54 -0600 (MDT) > Who all uses that DOLBY NR button anyways? I use it, but I have an apparent advantage in that I know how to. :-) If anyone's interested in joining the Alloy mailing list (which is dedicated to Thomas Dolby) the list has a web page at -- ::: Lazlo (lazlo @ swcp.com; http://www.swcp.com/lazlo) ::: Internet Music Wantlists: http://www.swcp.com/lazlo/Wantlists ------------------------------ Subject: Swing Out Live From: Colin Campbell Date: Sun, 29 Jun 1997 22:23:06 -0700 Digester Emeritus Wendy Giddens and I attended that Swing Out Sister show at the House of Blues. Wendy is a fan; I knew only "Breakout." Of course, I'm thinking they should open, close, and encore with "Breakout." But even a non-fan like me could tell the difference between their older stuff (room jazzing, bopping, and grooving) and their new stuff (room slows down, Wendy mopes, inert listnessness (is that a word?) from audience). I had a fine time, and the more "upbeat" stuff was definitely my style. Guess I'll be checking out those early albums! Colin (Oh, and "Breakout" was just the encore. Bummer.) jenolen @ earthlink.net http://home.earthlink.net/~jenolen/