dkrc Chapter 67 The Broker's Scheme
Chapter 67 The Broker's Scheme
Tian Chuanjun's studio is located in an old residential area in Beijing, on the first floor of an apartment building. The studio's name is pasted on the window, and a sign for the studio hangs on the door.
They rang the doorbell, and a young man in casual clothes opened the door. He looked them up and down, asked what they wanted, and then stepped aside to let them in.
The living room was small, cluttered with musical instruments, speakers, and scattered sheet music.
A man in his forties wearing a leather jacket sat on the sofa, with two other men sitting next to him, one flipping through a magazine and the other smoking.
The young man who opened the door said, "Brother Tian, Yang Chengang is here," and then went back to the front desk.
When Tian Chuanjun saw Yang Chengang, his face showed obvious displeasure. Then he glanced at Lin Feng and pointed to the two plastic stools next to him.
"sit."
This demeanor was completely different from the enthusiasm that Wang Hu deliberately cultivated.
Lin Feng and Yang Chengang sat down on the plastic stools. Yang Chengang was a little nervous, unsure of what to do with his hands and feet, and whispered, "Teacher Tian."
Tian Chuanjun shook out three cigarettes from the cigarette case on the coffee table, tossed one to Lin Feng and the other to Yang Chengang, lit one for himself, and then slowly began to speak.
"Chen Gang, you're something else. Selling one song to two companies? Back in Jiangcheng's 'Golden Age,' what did I tell you? It was all in black and white, a permanent exclusive copyright! And you just turned around and gave the song to that middleman Wang Hu? What, do you think I, Tian Chuanjun, am easy to fool?"
His words were barbed, and his gaze was sharp as he stared directly at Yang Chengang.
The two subordinates next to him also stopped what they were doing and looked over, creating an invisible pressure.
"Teacher Tian, I...I was confused at the time, I..." Yang Chengang's forehead was covered in sweat. He wanted to explain, but he didn't know where to start. His face was full of embarrassment.
"Teacher Tian," Lin Feng spoke up at the right moment, taking over the conversation, "Cheng Gang didn't think things through at the time, and I'm sorry for causing you trouble. We've come here this time with the sincere intention of resolving this issue."
"Solve it? How?" Tian Chuanjun exhaled a smoke ring, pulled a contract from a crumpled briefcase next to him, and slammed it on the coffee table. It was the contract signed in 2002.
"The contract is right here, in black and white. Yang Chengang voluntarily transfers the permanent, exclusive, and complete copyright of the song 'Loving You Like This' to me. It's in black and white, with a red handprint! It's legally binding!"
He pointed to Yang Chengang's signature and fingerprint at the end of the contract, raising his voice slightly: "Now this song is getting interesting; people are inquiring about it. Not only Wang Hu, but recently friends from two record companies have also asked me if this song is for sale."
"I was just having a conversation! And here you are, showing up at my door first? Did Wang Hu send you, or do you think I, Tian Chuanjun, am easy to talk to?"
He deliberately emphasized "under negotiation" and "record company" in an attempt to create the illusion that his product was in high demand and sought after, while placing Yang Chengang in the passive position of "breach of contract".
Lin Feng picked up the contract and looked at it carefully. The terms were indeed simple and straightforward: Yang Chengang would permanently transfer all rights to the song to Tian Chuanjun for two thousand yuan.
He put down the contract: "Teacher Tian, we have seen the contract. Chen Gang did indeed handle the matter improperly back then."
Lin Feng first acknowledged the other party's advantage in "reason," then changed the subject: "However, I have a question I would like to ask Teacher Tian."
"Speak," Tian Chuanjun said, narrowing his eyes.
"The main reason I'm here is to discuss the ringtone copyright for the song 'Mice Love Rice.' Your contract was signed in 2002."
At that time, the ringback tone service was not yet available in China. The contract stated "all copyrights," but both parties' understanding of "all copyrights" was probably limited to traditional record distribution.
For emerging services like customizable ringback tones, which rely on wireless communication networks, it's difficult to argue that the scope of authorization in this contract is explicitly covered.
Tian Chuanjun paused for a moment, the fingers holding the cigarette between his fingers, and said nothing.
Lin Feng continued, "I consulted with friends who understand the law. For full copyright transfer contracts like this, which are signed before the emergence of new businesses, there is a lot of room for interpretation in the law once a dispute arises, especially if it involves a completely new way of using the product that neither party could have foreseen when the contract was signed."
Going to court is not only time-consuming and exhausting, but the outcome is also unpredictable. It's possible that the final ruling requires further negotiation regarding ringback tone authorization, or it could drag on for years without a resolution.
Seeing the slight change in Tian Chuanjun's expression, Lin Feng continued, "We're not here to deny this contract, nor to file a lawsuit. We want to resolve the issue in a simpler way that's better for everyone."
"Oh? In what way?" Tian Chuanjun leaned forward slightly and flicked his cigarette ash.
"We would like to purchase the copyright of the song 'Mice Love Rice' from you for the specific business of 'ringtones'."
In other words, you still hold the copyright for traditional channels, and you can still negotiate with record companies if they are interested. We only want the ringtone portion.
In this way, you receive cash, avoid potential future legal risks, and your other income remains unaffected. You retain all the song's potential value and gain a guaranteed source of income.
"Ringtones?" Tian Chuanjun pondered, then glanced at his two subordinates. "I've heard people in the industry mention these things a few times."
"Brother Tian, ringback tones are quite popular among young people these days," one of his subordinates said.
Tian Chuanjun is an old-school musician and is not sensitive to new things like ringtones.
In his view, there are too many new and exciting things; they come and go like a gust of wind. He believes that the real value lies in traditional monetization channels such as record releases and commercial performances.
But being a shrewd businessman, he deliberately said, "Ringtones are a new avenue; if it can generate extra income, that's a good thing. However..."
He pointed to the contract on the coffee table: "This contract, in black and white, states 'full copyright.' No matter how new the ringback tone is, it's still a way of using this song, right?"
Logically, it should be included in this "all". You want the license for ringback tones, we can discuss that. But you have to follow my rules.”
He held up two fingers and waved them in front of his eyes: "Two options."
First, Yang Chengang sold the song twice, breaking the rules and causing me to suffer losses on my exclusive contract. Potential buyers will all lower the price once they find out. You'll have to bear this loss.
Either you pay to buy back the entire copyright, or I'll ask for just 200,000 yuan as compensation for my time and reputational loss, and then we'll call it a day.
Secondly, you can just buy the ringback tone copyright, that's fine too. A fixed price of 50,000 yuan. I'll grant you the ringback tone rights separately, and we'll sign a formal supplementary agreement. All other rights remain with me, so neither of us will be affected.
The total copyright fee is 20 yuan, and the ringtone copyright fee is 5 yuan. Essentially, they're just taking advantage of the popularity of "Mice Love Rice" to make exorbitant demands.