Musik und die Nigeria Connection
Im Internet versuchen immer mehr betrügerisch agierende Personen Musikerinnen durch Angebote anzulocken, hinter denen nichts anderes steht als der Versuch, Talente zu betrügen und um ihr Geld zu bringen. Hierbei werden die Namen bekannter Unternehmen verwendet, oder die ihrer Mitarbeiter und A&Rs.
Wir durften heute zu einem Angebot eines “Publishing Deals” beraten, einem Vertrag, den eine Mandantin erhielt. Absender angeblich Interscope Records. Die Kommunikation führt angeblich John Janick, der Chief Executive Officer von Interscope.
Unsere Mandantin hatte, wie so viele andere Künster:innen, Werke auf der Plattform “Soundcloud” veröffentlich. Sie wurde darauf von einem angeblichen Mitarbeiter von “Interscope” kontaktiert und ihr ein Publishing Deal angeboten.
Dies wäre an sich nichts verwerfliches, wäre es kein Betrugsversuch. Etliche Punkte in dem Agreement passen weder zu einem Verlagsvertrag, noch sind sie üblich. Sie weisen eindeutig auf eine Betrugsmasche hin,
Obwohl es sich um einen Verlagsvertrag handeln soll, wird der Künstlerin in Aussicht gestellt, 30.000 USD für neues Studio-Equipment zu erhalten. Dies aber nur von einem von dem “Publisher” zertifizierten Händler. Bereits dieses “Angebot “ist für einen Verlagsvertrag mehr als ungewöhnlich. Weiterhin werden bis zu weiteren 20.000 USD in Aussicht gestellt, sowie ein Jahreseinkommen von 200.000,00 USD.
Was ist aber die die Betrugsmasche?
Wie bei der Nigeria-Connection werden die Geschädigten aufgefordert, Zahlungen zu erbringen, um in den Genuß des Angebots zu kommen. Die Künstlerin sollte sich verpflichten, einen “Project Tracker” zu erwerben für 750 USD zu erwerben. Der Trackers sei “üblich” und diene dazu, sicher zu stellen, dass die bereitgestellten Mittel auch bei der Künstlerin ankommen und die Mittel vertragsgemäße Verwendung finden. Ohne Tracker, so der Vertrag, gäbe es kein Geld
Spätestens an dieser Stelle dürfte jedem klar sein, dass es sich um Abzocke handelt. Die 750,00 EUR für den “Project Tracker” ist wahrscheinlich nur die erste Zahlung, die verlangt werden wird. Eine Gegenleistung wird die Künstlerin nicht erhalten.
Wir raten dringend ab, solche unseriösen Verträge zu schließen und Zahlungen zu leisten. Diese zurückzuerhalten ist faktisch unmöglich.
Der Vertrag lautet die wie folgt:
2220 colorado Ave, Santa Monica
CA, 90404.
PUBLISHING AGREEMENT AND OFFER
(PUBLISHER) and xxx
1: INITIAL CONSIDERATION: This states that the owner (Name) owns and controls
certain musical composition, which is referred to as musical work throughout the document. Whereas the publisheris engaged in the business of music publishing and has certain facilities and services available for it and it’s
administration of musical works, and whereas the owner desires to grant the publisher right to publish and Control
it’s musical work in the entertainment industry, and further desires to appoint the publisher to act as the exclusive administrative
of the musical work and the publisher is willing to accept the OWNER/ARTIST as an artist under its administration.Now therefore, In consideration of the conditions contained in this Agreement both parties agree as follows:
1.DESCRIPTION OF MUSICAL WORK: The owner owns and controls the musical work more completely described as
(MASTER-PIECE).
2: GRANT OF RIGHTS: The owner hereby assigns and delivers the publishers the sole and exclusive rights to administrate, control and in other words deal in and for the musical works of the owner. All of which the
publisher agrees to do in the best business practices, generally prevailing In the music publishing industry.
The above grants include by way of example and limitations;
(A) The sole and exclusive right to print, publish and sell in all forms, printed editions of the owner’s master-piece
and to collect all fees and royalties becoming due for them. Also indicates that splits of share between the owner
and the publisher are to be discussed face to face in Santa Monica CA, whereby travel fees and accommodation fees
will be managed and paid by the publisher, also the publisher is willing to send a direct deposit concluding to a total
sum of $30,000 to its Artist to make purchase of brand new studio equipments required to set up the owner’s home studio,
do note that all the studio equipments are to be purchased from the Label’s Certified Vendor who we have been
1.DESCRIPTION OF MUSICAL WORK: The owner owns and controls the musical work more completely described as
2: GRANT OF RIGHTS: The owner hereby assigns and delivers the publishers the sole and exclusive rights to
operating with for a while now, the accepted means of payment will be provided to you by the one of our AR EXECUTIVE You
are currently in contact with NICOLE WYSKOARKO, You will also be provided with the payment informationonce you have the funds in your possession, and a sum up to $20,000 for personal upkeep and lastly an annual gross
income of $200,000 until you (Name), will be here in our Headquarters ( Santa Monica ,CA.)
(B) The sole and exclusive rights to prosecute, defend and settle any third party action or claim relating to the
musical work and all the respective rights of the owner and publisher there is no such, after which the owner claims and
agrees that his musical work is 100 percent; and there are no third parties involved, Also the owner agrees to make payments to our label’s vendor for the purchase of a project tracker which has been discussed before now and a of sum of $750 , do understand that the publisher does not need the funds for any purpose, rather the publisher makes the project tracker compulsory and mandatory cause it’s a very essential software in the entertainment industry and every artist under the roster of a label must have one the owner has also stated that he will be with the label for two years until He’s ready to either terminate or renew his contract .
NOTE: NO FUNDS WILL BE SENT TO YOU IF YOU DON’T HAVE ACCESS TO A PROJECT TRACKER DUE
TO SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS FROM THE BOARD OF THIS RECORD COMPANY AND FOR SECURITY
PURPOSES. HAVING THE PROJECT TRACKER ENSURES THE FUNDS WILL BE GIVEN TO YOU ARE USED FOR
THE EXACT REASONS AND PURPOSE WE GAVE THEM TO YOU . YOU WILL BE REIMBURSED ONCE YOU MAKE
PURCHASE OF YOUR PROJECT TRACKER AND YOU WILL BE IN OUR HEADQUARTERS. OUR RECORD
COMPANY AND PER POLICIES WILL BE ABLE TO MAKE PART PAYMENTS FOR YOU. WHICH MEANS
THE BILL FOR THE PROJECT TRACKER WILL BE SPLITTED ONLY IF SUCH ARTIST IS UNABLE TO
MAKE THE FULL PAYMENT BY HIS OR HERSELF. (…)
