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 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 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 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 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 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 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 on Feb 13, 2007 - 1 answers
Do I need an MCPS license to make a CD of public domain music performed by myself? [more inside]
posted 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 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 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 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 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 on Jul 18, 2006 - 29 answers
Can ASCAP/BMI sue you or levy fees for original music not in their catalog? [more inside]
posted 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 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 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 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 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 on May 26, 2005 - 9 answers
Is there a way to "quick copyright" a musical composition? [more inside]
posted 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 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 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 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]
posted on Jan 22, 2005 - 5 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?
posted on Nov 11, 2004 - 13 answers
