Community Theater Green Room Discussion Board: use of copyright materials

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johncamp
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Topic: use of copyright materials
Posted: 8/18/05 at 4:09pm

What is the correct proceedure for using copyright materials in show posters, pre-show and intermission music, music as part of the the show, Playbill and other advertising. We need to come up with some policies within our group. If rights are required how does one go about getting them. This is beyond the normal royalties for the show and music as published by the author.

johnc

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tristanrobin
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Posted: 8/18/05 at 5:09pm

preshow musci and intermission work if performed live or if a
recording is used has a license fee, paid to ASCAP.

individual art work is licensed by the artist or artist's agent. if
you are using original Broadway logos, etc., you can purchase
the logos from Publicity House, Inc. or Music Theatre
International, etc. and the right to use the images is part of the
fee (which is nominal).

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tristanrobin
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Posted: 8/18/05 at 8:58pm

I'm sorry - I just remembered - my group paid ASCAP, so we
only used music that was licensed through them. The other one
(that carries the rest of the music not handled by ASCAP LOL)
is BMI.

Your group would probably want to just join one licensing
corporation and then use the music they handle. Once in a
while there will be a song not covered, but for the most part,
ASCAP really has everything (famous last words LOL)

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POB14
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Posted: 8/19/05 at 10:39am

http://www.ascap.com/licensing/generallicensing.html

http://www.bmi.com/licensing/license.asp

And, lest we forget SESAC (in case you want to use Ludacris's Get The F*** Back):

http://sesac.com/licensing/licensing.asp

Edit to add: Hey, I got promoted to Lead. Either that's pronounced "leed" and it means I've got 30 posts, or it's pronounced "led" and describes my attempts at humor. Either way,

POB
Old Bugger, Curmudgeon, and Antisocial B**tard

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Gaafa
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Posted: 8/21/05 at 9:51pm

G'done POB!
Congratulations!

Joe
Western Gondawandaland
turn right @ Perth.
Hear the light & see the sound.
Toi Toi Toi Chookas {{"chook [chicken] it is"}
May you always play
to a full house}

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75director
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Posted: 8/22/05 at 4:19pm

To make a little clarification, ASCAP and BMI licenses only cover the rights for background music such as general background music. It does not cover using a piece of specific music within the dramatic context of a show, such as scene changes or underscoring a scene, etc. Those rights must be obtained from whoever owns the rights to that specific performance of piece.

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tristanrobin
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Posted: 8/23/05 at 7:32am

75director,
what does that mean?
LOL
ascap covered all the music requirements we used in plays for
years.
are you talking about original specific music written for a show?
(such as the score for "the glass menagerie?" or similar thing)

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johncamp
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Posted: 8/24/05 at 1:43pm

Thanks for the leads. We contacted both BMI and ASCAP. BMI did clarify that the anual coverage fee would cover the use of music withing the context of the show as well. It sounds like you have similar arangements with ASCAP.

johnc

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75director
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Posted: 8/24/05 at 2:43pm

Well I guess you learn something new everyday. I had always been told ASACP and BMI didn't handle those types of rights. Just joined this thing and already am reaping the benefits.

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POB14
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Posted: 8/25/05 at 10:53am

I think what 75director is thinking of, is this:

What ASCAP and BMI don't cover is a song that's actually part of the show. Musicals, for example; when you license Oklahoma! from R&H, your rights package includes the songs -- you don't go to ASCAP for those rights. That's why musical royalties are so high.

Even if a character just sings one song -- wish I were home, I'd give you an example -- A Thousand Clowns; the guy and the kid sing "Yes Sir, That's My Baby." You'll see a footnote in the script to the effect that "hey guys, your license doesn't include this song, okay?" I believe that typically ASCAP doesn't do those rights, either, because they consider it dramatic performance, and you have to go directly to the copyright holder to get the rights. ("YSTMB" may be in public domain by now, I have no idea, but you get the point.)

johncamp: G'donya, as Gaafa would say. Great to hear you're taken care of.

Gaafa: thanks for the congrats. Where in Oz ya from, mate? My wife lived there for a couple of years in her high school days, long before she threw her life away to marry me, and still occasionally slips into the patois.

POB
Old Bugger, Curmudgeon, and Antisocial B**tard

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Author	Message
johncamp Walk-On Joined: 7/28/05 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 0	Topic: use of copyright materials Posted: 8/18/05 at 4:09pm
	What is the correct proceedure for using copyright materials in show posters, pre-show and intermission music, music as part of the the show, Playbill and other advertising. We need to come up with some policies within our group. If rights are required how does one go about getting them. This is beyond the normal royalties for the show and music as published by the author.
	johnc

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tristanrobin Celebrity Joined: 4/25/05 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 704	Posted: 8/18/05 at 5:09pm
	preshow musci and intermission work if performed live or if a recording is used has a license fee, paid to ASCAP. individual art work is licensed by the artist or artist's agent. if you are using original Broadway logos, etc., you can purchase the logos from Publicity House, Inc. or Music Theatre International, etc. and the right to use the images is part of the fee (which is nominal).
	IP Logged

tristanrobin Celebrity Joined: 4/25/05 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 704	Posted: 8/18/05 at 8:58pm
	I'm sorry - I just remembered - my group paid ASCAP, so we only used music that was licensed through them. The other one (that carries the rest of the music not handled by ASCAP LOL) is BMI. Your group would probably want to just join one licensing corporation and then use the music they handle. Once in a while there will be a song not covered, but for the most part, ASCAP really has everything (famous last words LOL)
	IP Logged

POB14 Celebrity Joined: 7/01/05 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 349	Posted: 8/19/05 at 10:39am
	http://www.ascap.com/licensing/generallicensing.html http://www.bmi.com/licensing/license.asp And, lest we forget SESAC (in case you want to use Ludacris's Get The F** Back): http://sesac.com/licensing/licensing.asp Edit to add: Hey, I got promoted to Lead*. Either that's pronounced "leed" and it means I've got 30 posts, or it's pronounced "led" and describes my attempts at humor. Either way,
	POB Old Bugger, Curmudgeon, and Antisocial B**tard
	IP Logged

Gaafa Celebrity Joined: 3/21/04 Location: Australia Online Status: Offline Posts: 1181	Posted: 8/21/05 at 9:51pm
	G'done POB! Congratulations!
	Joe Western Gondawandaland turn right @ Perth. Hear the light & see the sound. Toi Toi Toi Chookas {{"chook [chicken] it is"} May you always play to a full house}
	IP Logged

75director Celebrity Joined: 8/19/05 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 122	Posted: 8/22/05 at 4:19pm
	To make a little clarification, ASCAP and BMI licenses only cover the rights for background music such as general background music. It does not cover using a piece of specific music within the dramatic context of a show, such as scene changes or underscoring a scene, etc. Those rights must be obtained from whoever owns the rights to that specific performance of piece.
	IP Logged

tristanrobin Celebrity Joined: 4/25/05 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 704	Posted: 8/23/05 at 7:32am
	75director, what does that mean? LOL ascap covered all the music requirements we used in plays for years. are you talking about original specific music written for a show? (such as the score for "the glass menagerie?" or similar thing)
	IP Logged

johncamp Walk-On Joined: 7/28/05 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 0	Posted: 8/24/05 at 1:43pm
	Thanks for the leads. We contacted both BMI and ASCAP. BMI did clarify that the anual coverage fee would cover the use of music withing the context of the show as well. It sounds like you have similar arangements with ASCAP.
	johnc
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75director Celebrity Joined: 8/19/05 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 122	Posted: 8/24/05 at 2:43pm
	Well I guess you learn something new everyday. I had always been told ASACP and BMI didn't handle those types of rights. Just joined this thing and already am reaping the benefits.
	IP Logged

POB14 Celebrity Joined: 7/01/05 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 349	Posted: 8/25/05 at 10:53am
	I think what 75director is thinking of, is this: What ASCAP and BMI don't cover is a song that's actually part of the show. Musicals, for example; when you license Oklahoma! from R&H, your rights package includes the songs -- you don't go to ASCAP for those rights. That's why musical royalties are so high. Even if a character just sings one song -- wish I were home, I'd give you an example -- A Thousand Clowns; the guy and the kid sing "Yes Sir, That's My Baby." You'll see a footnote in the script to the effect that "hey guys, your license doesn't include this song, okay?" I believe that typically ASCAP doesn't do those rights, either, because they consider it dramatic performance, and you have to go directly to the copyright holder to get the rights. ("YSTMB" may be in public domain by now, I have no idea, but you get the point.) johncamp: G'donya, as Gaafa would say. Great to hear you're taken care of. Gaafa: thanks for the congrats. Where in Oz ya from, mate? My wife lived there for a couple of years in her high school days, long before she threw her life away to marry me, and still occasionally slips into the patois.
	POB Old Bugger, Curmudgeon, and Antisocial B**tard
	IP Logged

Topic: use of copyright materials( Topic Closed)