What happened to Soundlab KPA ?

  • PayPal, Stripe, Square Payments, Amazon Payments, heck... none of them care if you're a legitimate business or not unless you're doing crazy amounts of sales. But, at that point, you'd want to move away from the popular payment solutions and onto something like Authorize.net, Braintree, or one of the hundreds of others out there - just stay away from CyberSource. Horrible developer relations there.


    That said, I'm a freelance web developer. I have an LLC to protect myself from potential legal consequences of horrible clients, but otherwise, in the states, you can operate under your own name and SS# for business purposes. Just know that, if someone like Marshall were to come after you and sue you for damages, without an LLC, you're basically saying "if I lose a court case and can't pay the resulting fees, you can take my car, my house, my guitars, everything, to pay for it." With an LLC, you're only liable for your own business assets. I have a business bank account that I keep about $4 in. If someone were to sue me, they can have it. I file as an independent for tax purposes, which does cost more, but costs less than hiring an accountant and having to deal with that whole side of the business (I'm sorry, but accounting is just horrible, and it's not real math).


    $10k is a little steep for reporting purposes, but I know where that comes from. As an individual, if you make less than $10k a year (but I believe that is actually a lower number, like $8k or $6k) TOTAL, from all sources, you don't need to report. Otherwise, if you make at least $600 from a single source, you're required to report it for taxes.


    This is all US law and workings and procedures and such, and everyone's business model is different - I'm offering a service, vs. offering a product, and that makes a difference somehow too. I have a friend (another web developer) that works as an LLC, but files as an S-Corp, and apparently saves a lot of money on taxes. However, he spends a lot of money on an accountant, and he has to continually put money into his business, and cut his own checks to himself. Not my idea of something I want to do.


    I would advise speaking to a lawyer. Find out what your options are for where you are, what the best course is, and, if it is a retailers license of sorts, have the lawyer work up a legally binding document. This way, you can make sure you get paid if you decide to sell them through another retailer.


    It's all confusing as hell, I'll admit, but best of luck. Feel free to shoot me a message if you have any questions.

    Guitars: Parker Fly Mojo Flame, Ibanez RG7620 7-string, Legator Ninja 8-string, Fender Strat & Tele, Breedlove Pro C25
    Pedalboard: Templeboards Trio 43, Mission VM-1, Morley Bad Horsie, RJM Mini Effect Gizmo, 6 Degrees FX Sally Drive, Foxpedals The City, Addrock Ol' Yeller, RJM MMGT/22, Mission RJM EP-1, Strymon Timeline + BigSky
    Stack: Furman PL-Plus C, Kemper Rack

  • Meambobbo's question is key here. Where are you located? Is the personal stuff you dealing with related to your sale of the profiles or something else like you going through a divorce and a spouse is claiming revenues from it etc. Or did you receive a cease and desist letter from a company? Did you sign something that you would pull your profiles? You in trouble with the IRS? Without knowing a bit more about why you pulled the profiles it is hard to try and provide any sort of guidance outside of talking to a lawyer (which can get expensive fast!)

  • Meambobbo's question is key here. Where are you located? Is the personal stuff you dealing with related to your sale of the profiles or something else like you going through a divorce and a spouse is claiming revenues from it etc. Or did you receive a cease and desist letter from a company? Did you sign something that you would pull your profiles? You in trouble with the IRS? Without knowing a bit more about why you pulled the profiles it is hard to try and provide any sort of guidance outside of talking to a lawyer (which can get expensive fast!)


    The second post on this thread says he received a cease and desist letter.

    Guitars: Parker Fly Mojo Flame, Ibanez RG7620 7-string, Legator Ninja 8-string, Fender Strat & Tele, Breedlove Pro C25
    Pedalboard: Templeboards Trio 43, Mission VM-1, Morley Bad Horsie, RJM Mini Effect Gizmo, 6 Degrees FX Sally Drive, Foxpedals The City, Addrock Ol' Yeller, RJM MMGT/22, Mission RJM EP-1, Strymon Timeline + BigSky
    Stack: Furman PL-Plus C, Kemper Rack

  • Thanks - missed it somehow. Then unless he has a lot of money to fight it or get good legal advice I think he is doing the right thing. There is what is logical and there is what is the law and there is what a company can screw you over for in a protracted legal battle even if you end up winning. Our agency recently mocked up an ad for a client and sent it in for legal review and for some very obscure legal president set in an old trademark case, the whole approach was killed. Over on Arstecnica is a story of a guy who made fliers with a couple of Pokemon characters for a Halloween party that he was charging money for and he just got hit with a $4,000 demand from Nintendo. Fighting it will cost him a whole lot more and Nintendo seems to be playing hard ball and won't let him pay it off over a year!

  • The second post on this thread says he received a cease and desist letter.



    No, I didn't.


    This situation is due to my long sickness issue that got bigger and happened at the same time i wanted to rename all the profiles with generic names and put them back on the site(which i did at the end). But then i heard a story that i need a registered company in my country (which i respect)etc etc....i asked a lawyer...
    he said i would need to pay for company + taxes etc etc...i wouldnt be able to do that...


    Im sure i can't reopen the store...on my own.


    Then again 2guys offered me to sell them my license so they can sell my profiles on their sites...


    The thing is im done with making profiles, this week im selling my kemper.... So ill either choose someguy to sell them or they will go in shift+delete option.
    Again, dont want to bother you all and talk about my life problems in public....etcetc


    So in a couple of days ill inform you guys whats going on.


    Take care of yoursef and all the best!!!

  • Long sickness issue? Boy, I can relate to that, Cili.


    My heart goes out to you, mate, and whilst I and many others would prefer not to see you leave, I'm sure we all respect the fact that this is what you might do. Should you choose to come back one day, there'll be a seat kept warm for you here I'm sure.


    Considering the small size of the files, might I suggest you hang on to the profiles you've made... just in case, eh? You as well as others may one day be glad you did.


    In the meantime, take care, do what you can, and may all that is good and right come your way. Go you good thing, Cili!


  • I'm sorry to hear this mate! Thx for your openness
    I wish you all the best for your health, life and career. Don't give up! :)