I'm sure I'll catch some flack for this but it seems Fran thinks I'm a criminal. At least that's how I've been treated since the call.

I called to order a CD that is supposed to have the tracks to the first 20 or so Woodshed Workshops. A friend suggested buying it - Collector's Series. I thought, "Great, I will not have to copy the tapes to my computer to make them into CDs."

During the call, she said she'd replace my tapes with CDs for $10 each (I think that was the price.) and asked which ones I needed. I told her that I have nearly all of them from 1 to 50-whatever (which I do). So that was going to cost over $500 and Fran said she wouldn't put more that one song on a CD (as Jeff had offered to do when I spoke to him last hear). I think the reason was that she didn't have the setup to do that. Ok fine.

Then I asked about the Collector's Series. Fran said she had that and I think the price was $19.95 or somewhere close to it. I was fine with that and wanted to order it. Naturally, her next question was "You're not going to copy it and sell it, are you?" I said no because I didn't intend to do that, and that I just wanted to replace my tapes because they're getting old.

She asked where I had gotten them (Woodshed Workshops 1-25 and not produced anymore) and said "You couldn't possibly have all of those" again treating me like a criminal. So at this point I'm thinking, "If I'm a criminal, why am I placing the order to PAY for the item?"

Anyway we began the discussion of how I've gotten all the Newman stuff that I have - which is a lot. I have just about everything Jeff has ever put out, including things that haven't been available for many years. I've bought them on eBay, here on the Forum and from friends. Even been given a few. But again I got treated like a crook. I was told that I should buy them from Fran instead. Well that's fine, except I wouldn't be able to get everything.

I gave Fran my credit card number and address to ship the order and waited.

Meanwhile, I was going through my steel literature and found some duplicate copies of Woodshed Workshops that I've accumulated in my collection of "all things steel." So I decided to sell a few of the extras on ebay. I guess Fran took it upon herself to go do detective work to stop "us criminals" from breaking the copyright laws. Upon seeing one of my auctions she sent the following email to me....

quote:

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this is Fran Newman. The wife of the late Jeff Newman. I am still in business and you are cutting my throat. Didn't I talk to you on the phone after the fire? What you are doing is wrong and I want a phone call immediately to talk about your big idea of selling my stuff for me. 1-800-373-3418 Jeff was a big advocate of copyright and he would certainly be dissapointed by this.

---

So I sent a reply that stated basically that I have some extra copies of a few items and I'm selling them. By the way, I stated the auction at 1 cent and didn't even get a bid. Guess I'm really cutting her throat (on an item that it not even available from jeffran anymore.)

Still waiting for the order, and seeing no charge to my credit card yet (going on a month later) I sent Fran another email asking what the deal is. I figured either I'm still labled as a fiend and I'm not going to get the item I ordered or that there was just some kind of mix-up and my order simply hadn't been proccessed. During my last call, after listening to an unbearable blabbering on about how she was going to "get the guys" who are illegally selling copies of Jeff's stuff and after going beyond what any customer should have to in order to explain why I was selling my copies the last thing I was told was that my order would be sent.

Well, it seems that I'm still labelled as a crook because I just called again and I was told "You're crazy." Straight from the horse's mouth. Well fine. Maybe I'm crazy but I called to support Fran and make a purchase - and not my first purchase from the Newman family but certainly the last. I've never made illegal copies of any steel stuff. I've never sold any illegal copies of any steel stuff. And as far as I can tell, I've never bought any illegal copies of any steel stuff. But I HAVE been insulted SEVERAL times by Fran Newman while trying to make a legitimate purhcase.

So Fran, if you say you're going to fill the order, why not just do it? Or if you don't intend to fill the order and call me a liar, why not just let me know that I won't be getting anything?

Fran just told me, "I don't have to sell to anyone I don't want to." Well fine. I went to the last two Jeff Newman seminars in Dallas. I bought instructional material from you at both shows. I've ordered from you online before and I just tried to order FROM YOU again. You insulted me in nearly every way you could think of.

I realize that my opinion is not going to matter to the folks who've know you for a long time. I also realize that Jeff Newman put out some of the best instructional material available for pedal steel. But being treated the way I've been treated for the past few weeks should not be acceptable to anyone.

I'd like to tell everyone "Don't buy from Fran." But I'm not like that. Still, I think you should consider how I've been treated recently before you decide where to make your next purchase for instructional stuff.

If this is in fact the case then the US copyright law clearly gives you the right to do whatever you wish to do with them, including re-selling them at a profit, provided you do not distribute any unlicensed copies, REGARDLESS of whether or not you were the original purchaser. The point is, the licensing fees were paid at the time of original sale and that right remains with each licensed unit of product. This is why music stores can sell used music product legally.

The law also explicitly allows you to make copies for your own personal use (copying your fragile tapes to CD for daily use, for instance) PROVIDED that you do not then sell or otherwise distribute the licensed originals that you copied. You might consider doing so but only if you keep the originals or destroy the copies if you transfer ownership of them to someone else.

It would seem that Fran would be better served by working with you to restore the complete collection which SHE could then legally duplicate and sell for her own sustenance rather than attacking you for sharing your extra copies with the world at large. It is very unfortunate that this misuderstanding has bred such a acrimonious dispute when the circumstances appear to represent a very real opportunity to increase the library of excellent teaching materials available to us all for the furtherment of our (and Jeff's) chosen instrument.

Perhaps she considers herself to be in difficult financial straits and cannot see past her immediate distress to the opportunity at hand. If this is the case, she is in no worse company than that of most of our major media conglomerates these days. Sad to say, poverty consciousness runs rampant in our society.

Your attitude seems to be one of honest forbearance in a difficult situation, so don't go changing. Maybe say a prayer for her along the way now and then, it certainly can't hurt.

Who knows, maybe you can find the missing pieces to your collection through other channels.

Peace --

Dave

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Strung Out on Great Sounds

pdxaudio.com/dgbio

[This message was edited by Dave Grafe on 18 November 2004 at 12:02 AM.]