Bryan Cather's post on pirated piano rolls interested me, since I am
involved with Free Software and in particular the Linux operating
system.  I have often used references to the music industry and player
pianos in particular to illustrate points about copyright and patents.

Bryan asked if the assignment of copyright law to player piano rolls
might have hastened the demise of the industry in the late 1920s by
eliminating the less expensive rolls created by the "pirates".

If this was the assumption, then a person would have to imagine a
household that could afford a relatively large instrument that was
fairly expensive to purchase and maintain (assuming it was tuned
regularly), yet could not afford the more expensive rolls to go on it.

The elimination of the "pirated" rolls would obviously boost the sales
of the roll originators, even if it was only a small increment, since
having no access to "pirated" rolls the person who wanted to hear the
music would either have to buy a roll from the larger firms, borrow the
roll from someone else who had it or purchase it used.

Eliminating the "pirated" rolls might also have increased the money
paid to the original artist, since sales of their work from the
legitimate firms might dictate higher fees or royalties paid to them.
This would, in turn, encourage the artists to generate more rolls with
that firm.

On the other hand the elimination of the "pirated" music probably
reduced somewhat the "enjoyment" of the purchased piano, since
accumulating a large number of rolls for your musical library now
doubled or quadrupled in price.

The number of people that might hear a particular song by a particular
artist would drop, since fewer people (not willing to spend the money
on that song or artist) would purchase that song.  In the long run this
might make it harder for new artists or songs to be produced by the
larger firms, and therefore harder to break into the music industry.

I think the real things that killed off the player piano industry in
the late 1920s was:

o the depression,
o the rise of the phonograph,
o the invention and broad acceptance of radio (which in turn almost
  killed the fledgling phonograph industry), by delivering both
   music and news, and
o World War Two

As the depression ended and people started having money again, World
War 2 started and manufacturing that might have gone into new pianos
instead went to radios.  Paper rationing made it almost impossible to
continue producing rolls during WW2.  This paper rationing would have
probably killed off the "pirates" anyway.

This is my first posting to this group, which I have enjoyed reading
for many years, and are only my opinions.  Please be gentle with me.

Warmest regards,
Jon "maddog" Hall - President, Linux International

 [ When recently asked, "Who are you," he replied:
 [
 [ "I am Jon "maddog" Hall, and for the past seventeen years I have
 [ been the Executive Director of Linux International.  That fact and
 [ 3.50 USD will get you a cup of coffee at most Starbucks...  I have
 [ also been in the computer industry since 1969..."
 [
 [ More at http://www.mylinuxrig.com/post/19511715022/  -- Robbie

 [ I enjoyed reading the remaining 4 paragraphs of the short
 [ biography at the link Robbie provided.  It reminded me that Jon and
 [ I have crossed paths and shared a beer at more than one convention
 [ related to our area of mutual computer interest.   What a suprise to
 [ find out that we share another mutual interest.   I look forward to
 [ our next meeting some day !    -- Jody