Copyright issues with memorial DVDs? [more inside]
posted by b33j on Dec 4, 2009 - 9 answers

i am (surprise surprise) into blogs. and before i was into blogs, i was into music. now i like to post mp3s to my blog. is it a bad idea to label which song/artist it is -- as in, are there really crazy music coppers who will show up on my doorstep to arrest me? [more inside]
posted by hagelslaag on Nov 27, 2009 - 18 answers

Why are there so many covers songs on youtube? [more inside]
posted by robotot on Oct 10, 2009 - 13 answers

I'm trying to find out: a) is the song copyrighted? b) who owns it? c) will they let me use it? (is this a pipe dream?) The song is Ice Pick Mike by Lalo Schifrin, and it's on the soundtrack to Bullitt. Totally groovin', BTW. :)
posted by raising_arizona on May 26, 2009 - 5 answers

A home video of mine was taken down from Google Video by Warner Music because of the soundtrack. Should I dispute? [more inside]
posted by infinitefloatingbrains on Mar 31, 2009 - 40 answers

Can someone please explain how to get Synchronization Rights to a Cover Version of a song? Or who would have control of whether you can use a cover version in a film. [more inside]
posted by mary8nne on Sep 30, 2008 - 4 answers

How do I get permission to sell musical notation of my own arrangement of a copyrighted popular song, legally? [more inside]
posted by adrian_h on Sep 17, 2008 - 8 answers

How do I remove or retract songs by my band that were uploaded years ago and are now for sale from multiple outlets on the internet? We sound different now, for one, but more to the point, we're not seeing any revenue from this, but someone must be. [more inside]
posted by monospace on Jul 9, 2008 - 6 answers

What copyright restrictions may or may not be placed on me of a picture I took of a band's setlist during a live, public performance? [more inside]
posted by ozreiuosn on May 15, 2008 - 31 answers

Is there a certain number of seconds below which it is okay to use copyrighted music without permission? [more inside]
posted by Idiot Mittens on Jan 13, 2008 - 15 answers

Andrew Bird's 2005 show on Fabchannel is my favorite performance of all time. How can I preserve it before the license expires and the gig is over? [more inside]
posted by tmcw on Sep 17, 2007 - 7 answers

Can you help me find the original publisher of the educational short film featuring Rusty the narcoleptic dachsund? [more inside]
posted by scottandrew on Jun 29, 2007 - 4 answers

Question about copyrights, and small clips of music. How much can I use without causing trouble? [more inside]
posted by NoraCharles on Mar 10, 2007 - 8 answers

mc DJ did a killer remix of Sufjan Stevens "Illinois". I want to use a track from the remix on a podcast, but I don't know who to speak with regarding rights. [more inside]
posted by bryanzera on Feb 13, 2007 - 1 answer

Do I need an MCPS license to make a CD of public domain music performed by myself? [more inside]
posted by cbrody on Jan 22, 2007 - 4 answers

Is it possible to pay royalties to bands in order to use their songs in commercial videos online? [more inside]
posted by sindark on Jan 20, 2007 - 12 answers

If Microsoft pays Universal music 1.00 for each Zune sold, to help them recoup losses due to piracy, does that mean that I can put any Universal music I want on the device? [more inside]
posted by stupidcomputernickname on Nov 10, 2006 - 14 answers

So, the record store I work for wants to do some reissues/boxes/become a label... Obviously, [more inside]
posted by klangklangston on Aug 2, 2006 - 8 answers

Should I finally join ASCAP, despite my misgivings about copyright, the music-licensing industry, and certain practices by ASCAP and similar orgs? Yes, the cash would make a real difference for me, given the way ASCAP handles my genre and given my low income overall. [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Jul 18, 2006 - 4 answers

Straight up: Is it legal for me to loan a CD to a friend so that he can copy it for his own use? [more inside]
posted by DWRoelands on Jul 18, 2006 - 29 answers

Can ASCAP/BMI sue you or levy fees for original music not in their catalog? [more inside]
posted by loquacious on Jul 12, 2006 - 7 answers

Where can I find clear and direct laws regarding the playback of backed-up music at a place of business in the United States? [more inside]
posted by Dean Keaton on Apr 19, 2006 - 25 answers

I'm interested in posting a stream of music on my site, say a one-hour loop, much like David Byrne does at http://www.davidbyrne.com/radio/index.php ... question, are there legal issues (given that i won't repeat an artist within the loop)? Also, what's the best way to implement, especially if I want to play the music in the Web browser while people are using the site... i.e. is there a PHP solution, or are the examples of sites that do this in the Web browser? Just interested in any and all resources around this.
posted by cgt on Dec 8, 2005 - 8 answers

This is a question on podcasting music rights -- largely because my phone calls to ASCAP and BMI have gone unreturned and, after reading this (and getting inconsistent answers from this and remaining unsure about whether a downloaded podcast counts as "webcasting" (Doc Searls says a podcast isn't radio, for example), my head hurts. Let's say you have a blanket license. If you are using copyrighted background music, do you then have to clear each and every song through the record companies even if you are only using the song as background music (as the above ASCAP link suggests)? I know this is the way it works in film (and in many ways, film is easier). But does there exist an ASCAP-style agreement that works for podcasting in much the same way that it works for radio. And if this is the case, has anyone had any specific experiences dealing with record companies? Any leads that clear this up would be greatly appreciated. (From my interpretation, it seems that an ASCAP license would be utterly useless unless I had a karaoke podcasting show due to the "mechanical rights" issue.) Thanks again, folks.
posted by ed on Jul 22, 2005 - 11 answers

Are drum patterns copyrighted parts of song compositions? I need a copyright expert or pointers on how to get some free (or cheap) advice from one. [more inside]
posted by damehex on Jun 21, 2005 - 14 answers

I know that if you want to sell a CD with cover songs on it, you have to get permission from the artist/copyright holder. But what about if you just want to record covers and make them available for free? For fun, I'd like to record myself playing some covers and put 'em up on Ourmedia, but I want to stay on the good side of the law. [more inside]
posted by danb on May 26, 2005 - 9 answers

Is there a way to "quick copyright" a musical composition? [more inside]
posted by taz on Mar 16, 2005 - 8 answers

What is the etiquette involved in using a band name that is similar to one already in existence. [more inside]
posted by Kellydamnit on Mar 4, 2005 - 26 answers

Copyright law questions; what is the minimum number of notes in a song/melody for it to by copyrighted? Is there anything stopping you from using a computer to generate all the possible combinations of melodies of that lenght and then using some ai (or people distributed over the internet), to filter out all the non-horrible and already existing ones, and then copyrighting the rest? Thereby owning almost all future music?
posted by Iax on Feb 12, 2005 - 27 answers

(RIAA-filter) Concerning downloading copyrighted material, is the act of downloading illegal, or just possesion? If you download a song and delete it, are you stil culpable? Of what offense? And is intent a factor?
posted by Edible Energy on Feb 12, 2005 - 18 answers

Sci-fi story identification filter. I'm trying to remember one about copyright and musicians in the future... I swear I didn't just make it up after reading Lessig. [MI] [more inside]
posted by easyasy3k on Jan 22, 2005 - 4 answers

Is John Ashcroft's singing of "Let the Eagle Soar" a copyrighted recording, or does him (formerly) being a gov't official doing it at some strange gov't event in public make it public domain? [more inside]
posted by mathowie on Nov 11, 2004 - 12 answers