Korg Forums

The Kronos includes
• EXs6 - SGX-1 "German D Piano"
• EXs7 - SGX-1 "Japanese C Piano"
and now
• EXs12 SGX-1 "Austrian Piano"
is announced on the Japanese Korg website.

Sorry if my question seems stupid, but I'm just wondering: why are those EXs not called "Steinway D", "Yamaha C(7?)" and "Bösendorfer (Imperial?) ", respectively? Could someone at Korg confirm that these EXs are made with samples of a real Steinway Model D piano, a Yamaha C (7?) piano and a Bösendorfer (Imperial?) piano?

Maybe it's because of copyright issues, you also never see the name Hammond in program patches. And Wurly for Wurlitzer is probably allowed. Maybe SteinWei, Bosendorfy or Yahama would be allowed (?).

It's a copyright issue. Korg would have to pay a fee for using an actual name of the products that were sampled, which would in turn increase the price of Kronos. They decided not to do so. Clever decision.

EvilDragon wrote:It's a copyright issue. Korg would have to pay a fee for using an actual name of the products that were sampled, which would in turn increase the price of Kronos. They decided not to do so. Clever decision.

Yes, everybody know the original instruments, and even if not, what does it care? It's about the sound, not the original name.

EvilDragon wrote:It's a copyright issue. Korg would have to pay a fee for using an actual name of the products that were sampled, which would in turn increase the price of Kronos. They decided not to do so. Clever decision.

What exactly would Korg be copying in that case for it to be a copyright issue?

Megakazbek wrote:

EvilDragon wrote:It's a copyright issue. Korg would have to pay a fee for using an actual name of the products that were sampled, which would in turn increase the price of Kronos. They decided not to do so. Clever decision.

What exactly would Korg be copying in that case for it to be a copyright issue?

Brand names. I think it is not legal to use other companies' names in your own products/features.

Megakazbek wrote:

EvilDragon wrote:It's a copyright issue. Korg would have to pay a fee for using an actual name of the products that were sampled, which would in turn increase the price of Kronos. They decided not to do so. Clever decision.

What exactly would Korg be copying in that case for it to be a copyright issue?

You can't use the term "Steinway Piano" as a selling point without giving credit and likely percentage of profit.

There's nothing like a Bosendorfer Imperial... not even close! And the price is absolutely prohibitive.

If the EXs12 SGX-1 "Austrian Piano" is actually a Bosendorfer (Imperial?) then THAT just made my decade!!!

As a pianist, the German Grand (Steinway D) and Japanese Grand (Yamaha C(7)) alone were worth purchasing the Kronos... but the Austrian Grand (Bosendorfer (Imperial?))... I think I just had a pianogasm!!!!

PinkFloydDudi wrote:You can't use the term "Steinway Piano" as a selling point without giving credit and likely percentage of profit.

Hmm, I can imagine that they cannot directly "brand" their samples as Steinway, but why can't they say that they used a Steinway piano to record German grand sample set, for example? If they can't do that, then, for example, using same logic I cannot say that I recorded my song using Korg Kronos, because then I will be using Korg brand in a similar fashion.
It's basically, simply information about how samples were recorded, what law can prohibit disclosing such harmless information?

I think Korg licenses you when you buy the Kronos. That's the way it works with sample libraries as well.

@Korg:

Could you please confirm that these EXs were made with samples of real Steinway D, Yamaha C(7?) and Bösendorfer (Imperial?) grand pianos?

SanderXpander wrote:I think Korg licenses you when you buy the Kronos. That's the way it works with sample libraries as well.

I still don't understand how this kind of brand name use can be restricted.
If it was, no one here on forum could discuss Steinway pianos referring to them by "Steinway" brand without getting a license first.

Discussion is one thing. Selling your own product with a brand name you don't OWN is a whole another thing.

Megakazbek wrote:

SanderXpander wrote:I think Korg licenses you when you buy the Kronos. That's the way it works with sample libraries as well.

I still don't understand how this kind of brand name use can be restricted.
If it was, no one here on forum could discuss Steinway pianos referring to them by "Steinway" brand without getting a license first.

Anybody can mention brand names, but not in official / commercial products.

Its a bit like sampling part of a Michael Jackson track on one of your original compositions.

Play it to your Granny and you're OK!

Try and sell it commercially and you might as well sit back and wait for the lawyers to come knocking!