To Jazz Paradin:
>>whether or not there may be a legal solution for mmMike.
I reccomend to get a permission directly from the copyright owners or their representatives.
If the 3rd party licensing services like some wrote in this thread could help, then using them would be helpful, I am sure. But I do suggest to check what they do is legal and appropriate.
I did look the easysonglicensing, and it was not clear on the front, but they were perfetly honest to state that their custom licensing would not gurantee to get a permission/license.
https://www.easysonglicensing.com/pa...r.aspx?faqid=5
If they money-back-gurantee for an unsccessful attempt, I'd say I would try using those service.
>>o it got me wondering if this is just a case of an unscrupulous arranger who
>>decided to go ahead and release the music to the public,
I strongly assume, this would be the case...
Again, iTunes and Spotify are, I assume, ultimately NOT responsible for any illegally uploaded materials, just like a bookstore is not responsible for selling a book with a plagiarized content. That responsibility stays at the record producer (the cover artist).
>>your previous description that there are at least SOME circumstances in
>>which it seems iTunes itself is directly obtaining (seemingly appropriate)
>>licenses for international cover songs.
Yes. Not all vgm were made or controlled by non-PRO members. For example, Koichi Sugiyama, the composer of Dragon Warrior series, is a notable figure in this category.
>>Just curious if you would find anything indicating that some things are happening without your approval
I am a member of PRO, so my works has been "pre-approved" in a sense. I have let things go in the past, and I did make some moves for those commercially-oriented illegal activity.