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The Truth in Music Committe, what joke.

So if I find Billy Cox, I can hold a concert as Band of Gypsies??
If Noel Redding plays I can have a Jimi Hendrix Experience concert?
Good intentions run amok.. What can you expect from Bowser???

The Truth In Music Bill was created to protect the artists from Identity theft
and to protect the Consumer from being mis-lead to believe they are seeing the legendary artists that made the hits songs famous - when in fact they are not.

We have now passed 9 states- PA, CT, IL, MI, MA, SC and ND. We are about
to pass NJ, VA. We have been introduced in NY, CA, FL, NV, ME, VT, WI,
MN, TN, MI, as well as DE.

We expect to pass half the country by the end of 2007.


Jon 'Bowzer' Bauman (Chairman, Truth in Music Committee)addresses the audience at the 2004 Vocal Group Hall of Fame Induction Concert about the 'Truth In Music Bill'. The bill was created in order to protect artists from identity theft and consumers from imposter groups that illegally use the name of legendary groups and artists. For more information about Truth In Music watch the video!

"Truth In Music" Has Arrived!

The “Truth in Music” Bill, which first and foremost protects consumers from impostor musical groups, is now law in five states—Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Illinois, South Carolina and North Dakota. Just as significantly, “Truth in Music” has passed the Assembly in New York, the Senate in Massachusetts, the Senate in Michigan and the Senate in Delaware, and will doubtless pass the second chamber in these states next session. Hearings are already scheduled for both chambers in New Jersey. Legislative sponsors are set to introduce the Bill next session in Florida, California, Nevada, Virginia and Maine. We expect more than half the country to be covered by the end of 2007.

“Truth in Music” has passed unanimously or nearly unanimously everywhere. It is a classic bipartisan issue, even in the current contentious political climate. In short, “Truth in Music” is well on its way to becoming the law of the land.

The time has thus come for Fair and Exposition buyers to understand what “Truth in Music” means to them, and how they can best avoid getting that unwanted call from the state Attorney General’s office suggesting their event may be in violation of the law.

Simply put in the vernacular, “Truth in Music” says you need to have at least one member of the group that made the hit records in the group that’s on stage that night, unless you have a darn good reason why you don’t. There are really only two of those darn good reasons— 1) that somehow the group has a valid federally registered trademark for the group name, or 2) that the show is clearly advertised as a tribute or a salute in a manner that is not so confusingly similar to the actual group name that it would tend to deceive the public.

So the questions to ask the agent who books your event are: Is there an authentic member who was on the hit records in the group you’re providing me? And, if not, does this group have a valid federally registered trademark for the precise name we are advertising? If the answer to both questions is “no”, this had better be clearly and unconfusingly billed as a “tribute show”, or the AG’s office is likely to cause all kinds of unwanted problems and embarrassment.

The Attorney General’s offices understand that the venue itself is often a victim as well as the consumer, having been misled by unscrupulous agents or promoters. But their leniency toward the venues on the road to fining the actual perpetrators and holding them accountable will only go so far. Your event can be enjoined, leaving you with a big hole in your schedule. And consumer anger and bad press will create a public relations nightmare. Clearly, the better course of valor is to steer clear of problem shows to begin with.

Of course, the final determinations as to rights will belong to the courts. But we at the non-profit Vocal Group Hall of Fame in Pennsylvania are being consulted on a regular basis by the states for the accurate histories of musical groups and how current performing groups are likely to fare with regard to “Truth in Music”. We are happy to do the same for Fair and Exhibition buyers if you contact us at www.vocalgroup.org or send e-mails to mail@vocalgroup.org.

One rule of thumb—if the package or pricing is too good to be true, beware!!! Packages offering three Hall of Fame names with 75 hit records between them for a price that’s hard to fathom (even after the agent has probably marked it up substantially for himself) are probably asking for trouble in this new legal universe.
Any iconic names going out for a pittance are a huge red flag. It’s the old timers who are hardest hit, as they have less visual identification to rely on, making it easier for impostors to flourish.

“Truth in Music” is finally ending the impostor group nightmare in which consumers are duped out of their hard-earned entertainment dollars and the authentic pioneers whose music changed the world are cheated of their just remuneration and, what’s worse, their applause. Finally, a level playing field is being created by law, and we are certain that all responsible Fair and Exposition buyers will be in the front lines of this effort.

Jon Bauman



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Topic - The Truth in Music Committe, what joke. - Duilawyer 09:06:35 03/15/07 (5)


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