General Copyright question

commalot

commalot

Well-known member
After reading most of the FAQs from the U.S. Copyright web site I got the impression you could get in trouble for copying material (music, video, etc.) for any purpose except for educational reasons.
Video is a hobby for me. I get out and do stuff with my DVX and my software for fun.
Somewhere I got the idea you could use copyrighted stuff for your own personal purposes and you would only get into trouble if you went commercial with it.
If I made a short video that had copyrighted music in it and posted it on the web just to show it off and have fun am I exposing myself to legal recourse?
 
Thank you for answering my question.
So, when a someone does a wedding video and uses copyrighted music he's asking for trouble, correct?
I'm not planning on doing this. Just curious about the legal issues. I assume, based on some of the clips I've seen in this site and many in other sites that people use copyrighted music in their own personal videos and don't get much flak about it.
 
commalot said:
So, when a someone does a wedding video and uses copyrighted music he's asking for trouble, correct?
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Yep, but most people get away with it because nobody sees it. You just don't want to risk being the guy that gets caught, so don't use other people's stuff without permission.
 
Or you could jus pay the millions of dollars for music and do whatever you want to it!

:thumbsup:
 
So if i'm a student right now, and anything I make could be considered educational, then can I use anything?
 
commalot said:
So, when a someone does a wedding video and uses copyrighted music he's asking for trouble, correct?
Click to expand...

You can use copyrighted music in your personal project all you want. The only time you run the risk of getting in trouble is if you show it anyone. It doesn't matter if you make a penny off of showing it, once it has an audience you've violated copyright.

The way videographers get away with using copyrighted music in their wedding videos is to buy officially licensed CDs with the music on them. It's the same thing as buying stock footage, you purchase the CD, which is in essence purchasing a license for the material. There purchase usually contains rules and regs about how you can and cannot use the material.

Rob
 
You gatta love but also hate copyright regulations.....if its your piece of music...youll love it....if your using someones music...ya hate it...

blehhh
 
Weston said:
Dont people post vids on here....with copywrited music....all the time?
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I have been waiting for someone to finally figure out that little gem.:happy:

Ooh, the irony.:undecided


Thank you Weston.:thumbsup:
 
mrblue1022 said:
You can use copyrighted music in your personal project all you want. The only time you run the risk of getting in trouble is if you show it anyone. It doesn't matter if you make a penny off of showing it, once it has an audience you've violated copyright.

The way videographers get away with using copyrighted music in their wedding videos is to buy officially licensed CDs with the music on them. It's the same thing as buying stock footage, you purchase the CD, which is in essence purchasing a license for the material. There purchase usually contains rules and regs about how you can and cannot use the material.

Rob
Click to expand...

so if I buy a simple original CD at the music store, and I ask some permission you will not have to pay any other fees?

I think if you want to put it on your website, and not for commercial purpose, you can do it free with a "demonstration film" sentence in the end. but of course you have to ask permession
 
I am always amazed at the "I think" or "I feel" opinions about copyrights. The fact is that you need a license to use someone else's music in a video. Period. There is "production music" that you can buy that is specifically licensed for video or film use. But if you do not have a piece of paper saying you can use it, you can't use it. Now just to confuse things a bit more, there is music that is licensed for personal use but not commercial (paying) work. FreePlay is a good example of this. You can use most anything on their site for a persoanl video (birthday party, wedding, etc) for free. But if you are gettng paid to cover the wedding or birthday, you cannot use the music without paying a fee. I htink this is teh most reasonable of all the different licenses I have seen.

Some people feel that this is so complicate dthat they just steal what they want to use. But if you believe in karma or the golden rule or what goes around comes around or any of a number of other philosophies, you will not steal other people's creative work. You will not like it when someone does it to you.
 
And, unfortunately, there's more than one permission to obtain (music is the most convoluted):
Permission for the the Master Recording from the recording label (the version of the music you are using, i.e. The Bangle's version of "Hazy Days of Summer");
Permission from the copyright holder of the song (in this case, Paul Simon, since he wrote the song);
and the permission of the artists performing the song (The Bangles).
Galt said it best - "you need a license - period." (even for Student Films - most festivals won't accept an entry without the releases.) Makes needle drop music and/or music clearing houses (that do the research for you) look pretty good!
But, as was pointed out earlier in the thread...it's all about exposure. If it's in a venue where you probably won't get caught, some people go for it (like a wedding video). Also, if you are pretty much inactionable (like, broke...as in "student"), some do it since your chances of being sued are slim - a "Cease and Desist" is the most you might get.
 
Yup. You are breaking the law if you post video with copyrighted music in it on the web. The internet is still a grey area of intellectual property law...but this one is pretty cut and dried. It basically ceases to be "personal use" once you start "distributing" the video...and posting it on the web is as tantamount to distribution these days as you can get.
 
Most songs that are played at a wedding are copyrighted songs. Unless they are original written by the bride or groom or other family member! The famous Wedding March song....that is copyrighted! However I am sure if all the people who are married check their videos of their wedding you would hear it or some other wedding song that is copyrighted. In my opinion, I don't think its a big deal because most wedding videos are for the newly married couple to view in the privacy of their home. I doubt they will be out selling copies but hey anything goes these days! "I got that bootleg Johnson wedding right here for 5 bucks"!!! LOL! LOL!!!!!

Seriously though I wouldn't post it on the net ALTHOUGH, I have watched projects that were posted here on this site that had copyrighted music in it and I know they didnt get permission to use the music. So I guess its like a gamble, just don't get caught!
 
DVX100Shooter said:
The famous Wedding March song....that is copyrighted!
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Mendelssohn died a looooooong time ago.

Unless you're talking about the wedding stuff from Lohengrin...in which case, Wagner died a looooong time ago.

:grin:
 
GenJerDan said:
Mendelssohn died a looooooong time ago.

Unless you're talking about the wedding stuff from Lohengrin...in which case, Wagner died a looooong time ago.

:grin:
Click to expand...
but they have relatives, who ask for the fees.
 
And, even if the music itself is in the public domain, there is always the issue of a specific recording being copyrighted.

The question is whether or not it is illegal to use copyrighted music without permission, and the answer is yes.

Is it likely that you'll be prosecuted? Probably not.
But laws are what they are, whether or not you get caught.
 
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