TABs Nabbed

The Music Publishers' Association of the United States, Inc. (MPA) and the National Music Publishers' Association (NMPA) have joined forces to stop what they consider to be the illegal distribution of sheet music and tablature (TAB) over the Internet. In December, 2005, the MPA Board "...decided to take action against web sites that post unauthorized sheet music and tablature versions of our members' copyrighted works." [Source] The MPA and NMPA have recently caused "takedown notices" to be issued in accordance with provisions of the 1998 Federal Digital Millenium Copyright Act to owners of well known TAB sites such as OLGA and Guitar Tab Universe. Many sites, however, continue to offer TABs and one (ultimate-guitar.com) claims its TAB offering is within the law - of Russia - though the MPA is attempting to extend its crackdown to sites outside of the U.S.