Using a cover of an Elvis song

[redCashion]

I want to use a cover of "Fools Rush In" that I would be recording over a scene in a short film. Can anyone help with what the legalities of this are, especially given that as a first project my film doesn't stand to get distributed but might have some kind of screening at a local theater.

 

[Barry_Green]

If it's a cover (re-recorded by someone else) then you don't need permission from the original recording artist, but you do need permission from the publishing company that holds the rights to the sheet music. You'd also need permission from whichever band you got to re-record it.

 

[Jack Daniel Stanley]

... you don't need permission from the original recording artist ...

good thing especially in this case ...

unless you know something about the King that we don't

 

[Barry_Green]

Never say never, my friend.

Okay, rephrased: you don't need permission from the record label or estate or anyone who holds the rights to the original artist's recording.

But you do need permission from the songwriter or whoever holds the rights to the sheet music.

 

[Derrick_SA]

or wait a bit...

or wait a bit...

or you could wait a while, let's see Elvis "died" in 1978, + 70 years, gives us 2048. Then it will be in public domain.