How To Use Music You Don't Own ? The Legal Way | Home ...

In today?s internet era, music made by one artist can be heard anywhere in the world by another with just the click of a mouse. Regrettably, with this type of accessibility come more people who partake in copyright infringement. However, this is not necessary. The following article will outline how you can use someone else?s musical creation, legally.

If you are looking to purchase the rights to music, one must contact the owner. The reason for this is that, under copyright law, they own the exclusive right to produce, reproduce, transfer and license all or some of their copyright in the musical creation. A binding assignment or a license must generally be put in writing and must be signed by the owner of the copyright, or the owner?s authorized agent.

To contact the music copyright owner, or the person representing the copyright owner you can:
o Check if they have included their name with the copyright symbol on their work
o Search if they have a website
o Contact a copyright collective focused on music
o If the work is published, you can contact the publisher in an effort to find the owner of the copyright
o Contact a lawyer who specializes in searching for copyright owners

In the event you do not want to purchase rights to the music, you have another option. Any music that is put in a fixed form is "copyrighted" under most world-wide music copyright laws. Therefore, there really isn?t any ?copyright free music?. However, some artists choose not to exercise their exclusive rights and will let others use their music without a license fee or royalty fee. In many cases, all they ask is for recognition that it is their work. By simply searching the net, you can find either individual artists who allow the use of their work, or companies who sell music on behalf of the artists.

Lastly, while there isn?t necessarily ?Copyright free music?, there is something called the ?public domain?. A work falls into the ?public domain? only when its term of copyright protection has expired. A work in the public domain is no longer subject to the terms of copyright and can be used freely without permission by the author. Before using a work, it is imperative that you can prove the work is in the public domain, or you could be infringing on someone?s rights (which could lead to a costly court action). A work is generally in the public domain after the life of the author, the remainder of the calendar year in which the author dies plus 50 to 70 years (depending on the country where the copyright originated).

So in essence, there are a number of ways to use music you don?t own, without partaking in copyright infringement.

Disclaimer:
The above information is meant as a general guide to further your music copyright knowledge and does not constitute legal advice. For questions about your specific work, you should consult a copyright lawyer in your country.

Justine Shoolman is a Founder of Copyright Creators (CC), a service inspired by the shortfalls of ?poor man?s copyright?. CC protects copyright for life with no membership fees. Visit CC today to receive 4 free registrations.

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This entry was posted on Sunday, April 1st, 2012 at 2:18 am and is filed under Automotive. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

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