MUSIC licensing, getting sued.

jdajda said:
Its fine with me if they do it - just dont tell me it isnt stealing or ask me if it is then argue that it isnt.
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I couldn't agree more.
If we started an argument everytime people used unlicensed music, that's all we would wind up talking about on this board.

Why do you suppose its so difficult for people to believe that they can't just use any music they want? (and I'm asking that sincerely). Is it just because its so rampant, so people assume its okay because everyone seems to do it?

No one would assume it was okay to use someone elses footage, or someone elses images wihtout permission. So why music?
 
There are lots of unsigned bands/musicians dying to get their music into some kind of film. Stop looking in your CD collection and on the radio for music to put in your film. Check out myspace music or your local bar that plays live music etc etc. Once you get hooked up with one band, all their buddies in other bands will want you to do stuff for them too.
 
I agree wit Arson. I just hooked up a gig doing youtube videos for a local magazines website. I have written to all the local bands that i would like to use in the future asking them for permission to use their songs, every one of them has gotten back to me saying yeah sure we would be stoked, But please sign this thingy that states you may only use the songs for that!

But, the idiot who did some of their previous videos used some of the bands music already and 1 of the bands got totally mental with me and wants me to pay them etc!!! A few e-mails from the editor of the magazine sorted that out, but still pretty scary!

Finally, Yes it is stealing, but last time you went to the bar, you got a lift with a friend and didn't have to steal a car to get there, so speak to bands on Myspace, speak to bands at local shows, speak to your girlfriends brother who does nothing but eat cheese and play piano, whatever it takes, i'm not stoked on F**king with Karma!

now go shoot and meet some interesting musicians
 
No, you're right, I'll do two cuts. one for Youtube with licensed tracks. and then another just for my friends and the people that helped me make my video I'll use the track without permission since no one will see it but them. Remember this is only test footage i'm doing and no one but my friends will see the cut with the perfect soundtrack music.
 
There is tons of club music from the late 90s early 2000s that never really made it through the record labels and there is nobody to ever enforce a copyright. A copyright suit is a civil suit not a criminal suit. There has to be someone with a legitimate claim to copyright ownership to seek you out to sue you. And they have to see it, and track you down. Also technically copyright laws are designed to prevent the unauthorized sale of the same audio or video recordings by other companies. The RIAA and MPAA lawsuits for file sharing that we all think of as copyright law is based on a different part of copyright law than using a song in a non commercial film. If your film is not for sale or distribution then it is treated differently. I would suggest using non copyrighted music/material since if you ever decide to sell your film, you already have a clearance and don't have to remix the audio. Sometimes music clearances can make a distributer balk on buying.
 
That content creators within this thread could be so cavalier about stealing another artist's work is astonishing.

Come to my house in the dead of night and try to take my lawn mower for personal use, with no intent of making a profit, and you're just as unlikely to make it out of my driveway as if you intend to hawk it in a pawn shop or on YouTube.

You really need to rethink this shameful position you're advocating.

e
 
oh but wouldnt you be flattered that someone stole your lawnmower so you'd let them use it since they liked it so much? </sarcasm>

The only error in your statement Erik is that they arent content creators at all - they are content re-users.

fwiw anyone caught stealing my lawnmower will be shot repeatedly.
 
jdajda said:
fwiw anyone caught stealing my lawnmower will be shot repeatedly.
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What scaries me, is that in your country everybody can have a gun quite easily and so many do actually own a gun. :eek:

We have got the naked girls all over the place. And quite a lot own some of these naked girls.

These two facts actually show the differences in European and American movies :D


@Topic: And yep, creating your own soundtrack makes you more creative.
 
I don't have a gun. I do have some very heavy tools and, hopefully, the element of surprise. That lawnmower re-user wouldn't have a chance - unless he had a gun or a German girl with him.

e
 
On a different note... I contacted a record company about licensing one of their music tracks for a DVD project. I also talked to the licensing rep about using a track for my demo reel on my web site.

If I gave them credit and a link back to their record company, I could use the music on my website free of charge. If I wanted to use it without the credit, the licensing fee was pretty reasonable.

So, I can use the music I wanted to use for free just by giving credit and asking them.
We'll have a contract drawn up showing that I have permission to use the track as well.

The thing about using music that you don't license is that if you fall in love with the finished product you can't do anything with it.

I used to cut to temp tracks all the time. But then it hit me that I could never use this "perfect" music more than likely so why was I wasting my time using it?

So now, I license the music and I know that if I fall in love with the finished product, I can do something with it.
 
It's always good to try for the best music. A friend who was doing a insert for a bmx dvd i made, contacted the record company about using Queen for the UK section and they were completely cool with it and didn't charge us anything!

I don't own a gun
I don't own a lawnmower
I'll get in trouble if i say i own my naked girl!
 
If you ask established independent filmmakers I think they will tell you to use first then apologize later. I recently did a project where I used a Mogwai track and the guitarist came across it, then emailed me telling me how much he enjoyed it. Generally if you're not making money off of it, no one will care.

If you look at features like Donnie Darko the director originally cut a scene to an INXS track but in the end he couldn't get the rights. It's just if you're planning to get distribution, get clearance first or else the record company will have you by the balls. If it's a project that is basically for your own entertainment, I say go for it.
 
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