Guitar Tab Sites Attacked by Music Publishers – There are several web sites for guitarists, and most of them provide tablature scores – sheet music that is specific to guitar, which shows with special symbols the proper fret and string positions of the notes. It is a simpler alternative to traditional music notation, and a great learning tool for self-taught guitarists. Most of the “tabs” are provided by fans who sit down and figure out for themselves how to play a particular tune. The Music Publishers Association (MPA) says that the Internet is taking a bite out of sheet music and printed music sales, so they have sent cease and desist orders to sites which they say host “unauthorized” tabs. One site has already closed its doors.
Pioneer to Build New Plasma Display Plant – Almost half of Pioneer Electronics’ home electronics sales last quarter were for plasma display panels (PDP), so the company has announced that they will be building a new plant near Tokyo to make the flat screens. It will have an initial annual output of 300,000 PDPs, rising to more than one million. In the last quarter Pioneer reported a 32% jump in PDP sales due to their strong demand in both Europe and North America.