AV News 177 - August 2009
Copyright
J o h n S m ith APAGB CPAGB
For AV makers obtaining the copyright clearance and licences required for any
public show might feel a real pain in the ... until you wonder what it would be
like if someone else exploited your work for profit without permission or
payment.
The laws of copyright allow artists, writers and composers to treat their work
rather like possessions which they can sell or rent out to others. They can also
refuse anyone else the right to use it.
Few AV's are without some form of background or supporting music and to
use this legally involves obtaining the necessary permissions and licences, of
course anyone can try to buy the rights to use a piece of music from music
publishers but at a very high price.
For amateurs not willing to spend a fortune you could:• Write and play your own music or maybe find someone to do it for you.
• Use "royalty free" music - this comes either in CD collections or as tracks
you download from a company's website. These CDs typically cost
around £30 - 35 - far more than normal music CDs - but for this you get a
whole set of rights to use the music in your work without further charge. (It
is important to check carefully exactly what rights each company offers.)
Many of the suppliers also let you buy individual tracks to download at
various prices. The catch is that a great deal of this music is synthesised
rather than played on real instruments - and you can hear it. There are
also sources of royalty free music which can be downloaded for nothing.
• Use 'library music' - this is what a great many professionals use for
television and film with a vast range of recordings offered by specialist
companies. Most are played by real musicians on real instruments and
many well-known classical music tracks are available this way. These
firms do not normally sell to the public but IAC members can get advice
on what is available and buy this music through their Music Advisory
Service.
If you are not an IAC member to use library music you need the two
clearances in the IAC's Copyright Scheme and also you must then
obtain written permission from the Musicians Union.
• Use Commercial Music taken from a CD purchased from a retail outlet in
this country - to be able to use this you must join the IAC and then buy all
the licences in their Copyright Clearance Scheme
What is their Copyright Clearance Scheme?
Before we start, please note most of the information in this section is UK
specific - laws and customs may be different in other countries and that
copyright law is very complex and although great care has been taken in
compiling these notes which are of particular interest to amateurs, neither we,
the IAC, nor the compilers accept responsibility for any inaccuracies or
misunderstanding that may result from their use.
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