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Shelley Osterloh Reporting We hear a lot about identity theft. Well, we found out about a Utah artist who is the victim of musical identity theft.
This is more than music piracy. Jon Schmidt is an internationally known composer and pianist. He was performing in London when one of his fans contacted Schmidt's manager to tell him that someone else was selling his music CD's as their own, even performing in concerts, claiming Schmidt's music was his own.
Jon Schmidt is doing the master cut on his seventh album, called "Hymns without Words." He says a Louisiana man named Heath Vercher took his first album, changed the name, called each cut something different, and sold it as it own.
Jon Schmidt, Recording Artist: "If it's by Jon Schmidt, it's called, 'All of Me.' If it's by Heath Vercher, it's called, 'The Valiant.'"
Schmidt recorded the music in 1991. That original recording popped up on iPod websites with Vercher's name. He is college music student.
Jon Schmidt, Recording Artist: "Then he learned my songs, probably bought my sheet music off of my site and learned my songs. And then performed my songs in concert. Then he would sign the CDs after the show. He has website, created a website. He went to the newspapers and had the newspapers write reviews on music I composed."
Vercher even took Schmidt's biography for himself, changing just a few words here and there.
Jon Schmidt, Recording Artist: "My bio says I do a back flip in concert, so he took that out because he couldn't do a back flip. But he did say he laid down on the keyboard."
Schmidt's manager and lawyer demanded Vercher stop, and he said he would.
Carl Sandquist, Jon's Schmidt's Manager: "He did say he was sorry. He says he's not sure why he did it, but he did it. But he was fully cooperative after we confronted him on it."
It appears to be resolved and Vercher has promised to stop, so it's likely Schmidt wont take any further action. Schmidt, who has a good sense of humor, is able to laugh about it, but a less established artist could have been seriously hurt by this music identity theft.
