Midi File copyright protection ?

Hello,
 
Situation: I import export a midi file from Sonar X2 and import it into my Fantom G. Now after additional changes in the Fantom G I want to export back to midi file but I get a "Copyright Protected" error. Initially suspected it was the Fantom G producing this but after digging online I found out that Sonar actually puts a Copy Protection to an exported midi file. Does anyone know how can I remove this protection?
 
I know I might be screwed with all the current midi files but I want to make sure future exports do not have this copy protection.
 
Please help.
 
 

Me either.  Can you please detail your results of digging, from which you concluded that?
 
I have imported and exported midi files for 20+ years, and do not recall ever running into that.
 
Thanks, 
 
Bob Bone
 

Well, I'm not the only one. I've been searching around to see if I can find info on how to disable this but have been unsuccessful.
 
http://forums.rolandclan.com/viewtopic.php?t=29082&p=178393
 

I find the logic in that thread very odd. If the file that Sonar has made can be opened in the Fantom G and edited but the Fantom can't export it, why is it Sonar's fault?

I've also looked at your thread. So it was written in 2009. 
 
Here there is a "system program" dated 2010. So please ensure you are on the latest "system program" (1.50?) and drivers. If I've linked to the wrong hardware please check elsewhere on Rolands site:
http://www.roland.com/support/article/?q=downloads&p=FANTOM-G8

To the original poster:
 
I have transferred all kinds of midi files to and from multiple computers over a period of many years, many midi files of which were either created or edited in Sonar, and I have never ever had to deal with any copyright protection error messages.
 
In fact, I have a current project I am working on with a remote guitar player, and I transfer all kinds of midi files back and forth from my computer to his, and his to mine, and they all export/import/playback just fine.
 
I am not at all suggesting you are not seeing a problem, I just don't seem to encounter that one, and that is why I would like you to explain more about why you believe Sonar is adding some sort of copyright protection to midi files.
 
Thanks, 
 
Bob Bone
 

You are right that SONAR does include a copyright notice - but only if something's in the Copyright field for the project information. SONAR auto-fills this with "Copyright 2013 by ", so there's something in there by default. Delete that, and the exported MIDI file will not contain a copyright message. So it is possible to prevent copyright notices from being included in your MIDI exports.
 
You could remove the copyright notice from an existing MIDI file by removing the message itself. Such messages are not shown in the Event View, though. You'll have to use an external hex editor. It'll be near the top of the file, and consists of the sequence 0xFF 0x02 0xNN (NN is the length of the message text) followed by the actual text. You could probably just change the 0x02 to 0x01, turning it into a generic text message block.
 
There's also the possibility that the Fantom is inserting (or modifying) the copyright notice. I'd open the file in a hex editor and examine the text of the copyright notice. If it says something like "Copyright xxxx by Roland Corp." then it's those clever guys at Roland that are messing with ya.
 
 

The OP is talking about copy protection not just copyright. Maybe I am misunderstanding. Also removing a copyright notice may be illegal.  

BTW, if it is your copyright info, I would not think there would be any problem in removing it.
 
I WISH my stuff was so popular that this would come up in a court case.  :)
 
Bob Bone
 

John
The OP is talking about copy protection not just copyright. Maybe I am misunderstanding. Also removing a copyright notice may be illegal.  

Yes, but there can't be any copy protection without a way to first indicate in the file itself that it's protected, and the copyright notice is the only mechanism for doing so. There cannot be any copy protection in a MIDI file because it's a container of data, not an executable. It's entirely up to the software that reads that file to enforce any restrictions.
 
Which is apparently what SONAR thinks it's doing, although it's bizarre that the OP can't load back in his own file. That's why I suggested examining the data in the file to see if the copyright message originated with SONAR or if it was added by the Fantom.
 
As for the legality of removing a copyright notice from a MIDI file, it would have no bearing at all on whether the file was in fact copyrighted. It's copyrighted because it was registered with the USCO, and flipping two bits in the file doesn't change that. If I rip a song from a CD and turn it into an MP3 or WMA it's still copyrighted material even though I have substantially modified the data.
 
Now, if the OP had gotten this file off the net and it was copyrighted, then I'd have no sympathy for his plight. However, it sounded to me like the MIDI sequence was his own creation. SONAR did not complain when it was originally imported, and the problem only occurred when he reloaded it after using an external editor on it.
 

energizer1389
Hello,
 
Situation: I import export a midi file from Sonar X2 and import it into my Fantom G. Now after additional changes in the Fantom G I want to export back to midi file but I get a "Copyright Protected" error. Initially suspected it was the Fantom G producing this but after digging online I found out that Sonar actually puts a Copy Protection to an exported midi file. Does anyone know how can I remove this protection?
 
I know I might be screwed with all the current midi files but I want to make sure future exports do not have this copy protection.
 
Please help.
 
 

Are you, by any chance, running a Japanese version of SONAR?  Japanese language versions have Copyright Warnings enabled.  You could change that behavior by launching RegEdit, navigate to (x86 on x64): HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Cakewalk Music Software\SONAR Producer\X2  and changing Language=Japanese to Language=English, but if it's a true Japanese install you may have some sizing and layout issues after doing that.
 
For an x64 install, the key is in: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Cakewalk Music Software\SONAR Producer\X2
 
I should add that SONAR does not write anything to the MIDI file regarding this, but will warn the customer if an attempt at changing the copyright is detected.  If you're seeing something in another application (i.e. not SONAR), then it is that application acting in a similar fashion?