An interesting conversation recently came up over an Instagram post I made recently (featured below).
Basically, due to copyright law ruling, original Scientist dubs now fall under the producer’s control. For reissues, the titles and artwork have been editied. Scientist is still listed as the engineer on the liner credits, but for the recent Greensleeves reissues, it is the producer on the cover.
To me, this seems like historical revisionism.
It’s one thing to obey court order and pay royalties for use of owned songs, but to diminish the intelectual owner of ther work goes too far.
The truth is always more complex than it seems, of course. I understand the need for copyright laws to secure money and prevent plgarism. Dub is a subgenre that walks a fine line with copyright. This, however, is not justice.
I couldn’t immediately find articles directly relating to these specific reissues, but here are a few interviews with Scientist himself, on copyright and producer issues. Good reads!
http://www.largeup.com/2012/09/21/largeup-interview-scientist/
