lphillips@lpami.wimsey.bc.ca (Larry Phillips) (08/07/90)
In <12854@mentor.cc.purdue.edu>, jlh@noether.math.purdue.edu (Jeffrey Hensley) writes: > Since there has been a lot of talk lately about >copyrights and patents and such, I was wondering if one of you >in the know could tell me how to obtain information on copyrights >and royalties for music. > I want to add a soundtrack to some Amiga animations, but >I don't want to get myself into legal trouble and produce something >which can't be legally distributed. > My inclination is to dig into my record collection and pull >out some classic work and use it. But am I safe? How do I find out >if a record (an old one) has an enforcable copyright, or who do I >contact about royalty fees? (I have noticed that many of my records, >at least the old ones with serious music, have no copyright notices >on them). Be aware that even if a copyright has expired on a piece of music, or even if a piece of music is public domain from the start (like 'House of the Rising Sun'), there _will_ be a copyright on the performance itself. ie. if you digitize a performance from record, tape, whatever, you will be violating the copyright _for that performance_. -larry -- Sex is better than logic, but I can't prove it. +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | // Larry Phillips | | \X/ lphillips@lpami.wimsey.bc.ca -or- uunet!van-bc!lpami!lphillips | | COMPUSERVE: 76703,4322 -or- 76703.4322@compuserve.com | +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+
jlh@noether.math.purdue.edu (Jeffrey Hensley) (08/07/90)
Since there has been a lot of talk lately about copyrights and patents and such, I was wondering if one of you in the know could tell me how to obtain information on copyrights and royalties for music. I want to add a soundtrack to some Amiga animations, but I don't want to get myself into legal trouble and produce something which can't be legally distributed. My inclination is to dig into my record collection and pull out some classic work and use it. But am I safe? How do I find out if a record (an old one) has an enforcable copyright, or who do I contact about royalty fees? (I have noticed that many of my records, at least the old ones with serious music, have no copyright notices on them). Curiously, Jeff
givler@cbmvax.commodore.com (Greg Givler - Product Assurance) (08/09/90)
In article <1857@lpami.wimsey.bc.ca> lphillips@lpami.wimsey.bc.ca (Larry Phillips) writes: >In <12854@mentor.cc.purdue.edu>, jlh@noether.math.purdue.edu (Jeffrey Hensley) writes: >> Since there has been a lot of talk lately about >>copyrights and patents and such, I was wondering if one of you >>in the know could tell me how to obtain information on copyrights >>and royalties for music. >> I want to add a soundtrack to some Amiga animations, but >>I don't want to get myself into legal trouble and produce something >>which can't be legally distributed. >> My inclination is to dig into my record collection and pull >>out some classic work and use it. But am I safe? How do I find out >>if a record (an old one) has an enforcable copyright, or who do I >>contact about royalty fees? (I have noticed that many of my records, >>at least the old ones with serious music, have no copyright notices >>on them). > >Be aware that even if a copyright has expired on a piece of music, or even if a >piece of music is public domain from the start (like 'House of the Rising >Sun'), there _will_ be a copyright on the performance itself. ie. if you >digitize a performance from record, tape, whatever, you will be violating the >copyright _for that performance_. > >-larry You should check with ASCAP. I think it stands for the American Society of Composers and Publishers. They control the payment of royalties for their members. That is how stuff played on the radio makes money for the writers and performers. Greg -- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Greg Givler | Q-Link: GregGivler Analyst - Systems Evaluation Group | CompuServe: Greg Givler 76702,647 Commodore Product Assurance | GEnie: G.Givler 215-431-9100 | The NET: givler@cbmvax.commodore.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "I'm a Hawk, you're a Tiger... We're our own Zoo" -- Countess Charlotte Malcolm -- From the Musical -- _A_Little_Night_Music_ -- By Stephen Sondheim -- ===============================================================================
gardner@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu (Mike Gardner) (08/10/90)
givler@cbmvax.commodore.com (Greg Givler - Product Assurance) writes: >You should check with ASCAP. I think it stands for the American Society >of Composers and Publishers. They control the payment of royalties for >their members. That is how stuff played on the radio makes money for >the writers and performers. Has anyone who reads this group gotten permission/license to use music through ASCAP for a small production. What kind of hassle is involved to get permission to use something on a single demo, or the production of a couple of copies of a tape? ****************************************************************** .+|+, CCC SS OO +-*-+ C S O O NETWORKING: ubiquitous, demanded, `+|+' + C S O O demanding, misunderstood. +-##-+ CCC SS OO +-# #-+ University of Illinois, Computing Services Office +-##-+ 1304 W Springfield, Urbana, Il 61801 + .+|+, Michael G. Gardner, Assistant Director, 173 DCL +-*-+ (217)244-0914 gardner@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu `+|+' FAX (217)244-0916 ******************************************************************