Lip-synching in Music - Legal and Ethical Aspects

Legal and Ethical Aspects

In the Australian state of New South Wales, the government is considering new laws that would require pop singers to print disclaimers on tickets "to alert fans if they intend on miming throughout their shows". Fair Trading Minister Virginia Judge stated that "Let's be clear – live means live." Minister Judge stated that "If you are spending up to $200, I think you deserve better than a film clip". She indicated that "The NSW Government would be happy to look at options, such as a disclaimer on a ticket which would warn consumers a performance is completely pre-recorded."

A writer on ethics calls lip-syncing an "affront to all legitimate live performers who risk lyric mistakes and cracking voices to give an authentic performance". The author argues that lip-syncing in live concerts will "...destroy our ability to enjoy great live performances the way we once could, thrilling to the certain knowledge that we are witnessing something extraordinary from a great talent". The author argues that this "...makes lip-syncing in public performances wrong. Not only is the audience being lied to; it is being made cynical".

In the US, the government is considering making legal changes that would make it illegal for amateur singers to post videos of themselves lip-syncing to copyrighted songs. The "...legal changes currently before the US Senate could make it illegal to post videos featuring lip-syncing on sites like YouTube".

Read more about this topic:  Lip-synching In Music

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