Copyright

Hey there! I’m back again with another school assignment! This time I am reporting on Copyright for music.

When you write music, you get Copyrights as soon as you finish the piece and you have the Copyrights up to 95 years, or 70 years after their death. Having Copyrights to music or lyrics mean that no one can reproduce, perform, or distribute your composition without your permission. In the US the current year for Public Domain is January 1, 2019. The difference between Public Domain and Proof of Public Domain is Public domain, anyone can use it without sighting where they got it or who made it. But, with Proof of Public Domain, you must site where you got the image, quote, or song.

To help you out, here is a list of rules about Copyrights for music and lyrics.

·         If a work is dated before 1922, it is Public Domain; otherwise, it is protected under Copyright laws.

·         You CANNOT reproduce the music or lyrics.

·         You CANNOT distribute the music lyrics for free, for no profit, or for profit.

·         You CANNOT perform the music or lyrics in public.

·         You CANNOT play a recording of the music or lyrics in public-even if you own the CD.

·         You CANNOT make a derivative work or arrangement for the public use in any form.

A famous case, where the Copyright law was not obeyed, was the case between Jonny Cash and Gordon Jenkins. The original song in question was recorded on a concept album called Seven Dreams, the song in question was part of the ‘Second Dream: The Conductor by Jenkins.  The lyrics in some parts were exactly the same, or they had a one or two word difference. After fifteen years, Jenkins decided to sue Cash for taking his song. They went to court, but it was settled out of court. Cash ended up having to pay around one-hundred thousand dollars.