Unfair to Genius: The Strange and Litigious Career of Ira B. ArnsteinThe long and tortured career of Ira B. Arnstein, "the unrivaled king of copyright infringement plaintiffs," opens a curious window into the evolution of copyright law in the United States. As Gary A. Rosen shows in this frequently funny and always entertaining history, the litigious Arnstein was a trenchant observer and most improbable participant in the transformation of not just copyright, but of American popular music itself. A musical prodigy in the late nineteenth century, Arnstein performed as a boy soprano at the famous 1893 "White City" exhibition in Chicago. He grew up to be a composer of moderate accomplishment, but by the mid-1920s his fortunes had reversed in the face of changing tastes and times. Embittered and confused, he became convinced that he was the victim of a conspiracy to steal his music and set out on a three-decade-long campaign to prove it, suing most of the major players in the popular music industry of his day. Although Arnstein never won a case, Rosen shows that the decisions rendered ultimately defined some of the basic parameters of copyright law. His most consequential case, against a dumbfounded Cole Porter, established precedents that have provided the foundation for successful suits against George Harrison, Michael Bolton, and many others. Unfair to Genius alternates the stories of Arnstein and a colorful cast of supporting characters with a fascinating account of the economic, technological, and legal forces of the first half of the twentieth century that shifted the balance of power from the mercenary music publishers of Tin Pan Alley to the composers and lyricists who wrote the Great American Songbook. |
Contents
| 3 | |
2 A MOTHERS PRAYER | 29 |
3 SOLDIERS OF ZION | 51 |
4 UNMOVED MOVER OF MELODY | 70 |
5 ARRANGER ON A TRAIN | 83 |
6 THE TUNE DETECTIVE | 101 |
7 SONGLIFTING TRIAL GOES INTO AGITATO | 119 |
8 JUSTICE FOR GENIUS | 146 |
9 MY BEER IS A SHAME | 171 |
10 BAD MUSIC INSTEAD | 193 |
11 GIFT FOR A PRESIDENT TURNED INTO SONG TO A COW | 215 |
12 FOUR LAST SONGS | 237 |
Notes | 259 |
| 283 | |
| 291 | |
Other editions - View all
Unfair to Genius: The Strange and Litigious Career of Ira B. Arnstein Gary Rosen Limited preview - 2012 |
Unfair to Genius: The Strange and Litigious Career of Ira B. Arnstein Gary Rosen Limited preview - 2012 |
Unfair to Genius:The Strange and Litigious Career of Ira B. Arnstein: The ... Gary Rosen No preview available - 2012 |
Common terms and phrases
American appeared Arnstein arrangements artistic ASCAP attorneys audience became become believe Berlin broadcasters Brothers called Charles City claim Clark Cole complaint composer composition concert copying court defendants Department earlier early Edward evidence fact federal Fiddle final followed Frank Gilbert Hall Hand Hearings infringement Irving Berlin issue Jewish Judge jury Justice later lawyers Learned license living Love Marks matter melody never notes orchestra original performance piano piece Play popular music Porter production publishers radio received recording reported Rosenblatt ruling Russian Second Shilkret Sigmund Spaeth similarity Society song songwriters stations success testimony Theatre Tin Pan Alley tion took trial tune turned Tuttle United Variety witness writing written wrote York