Youtube copyright policy on cover versions

**CardinalRule** · 04-15-2012, 02:20 AM

so does having a recording for yourself infringe on the same copyrights? it seems it would.

how old does it have to be to loose copyright?

The first question: if the recording (or score) is for purposes of study, it does not infringe on copyright (unless said recording was done against the wishes of the creator). Teachers needing to show a student an example of something are allowed to use a recording for such a purpose. But yes, this gets murky, as when multiple copies are made.

Second question: a piece/recording enters public domain when:
Works created after 1/1/1978 - life of the longest surviving author plus 70 years - earliest possible PD date is 1/1/2048
Works registered before 1/1/1978 - 95 years from the date copyright was secured.
Works registered before 1/1/1923 - Copyright protection for 75 years has expired and these works are in the public domain.

We can thank Sonny Bono for having the copyright extended 20 years. It used to be 75 years and in 1998, his law changed it to 95 years.

And I believe the laws for this are slightly different in Europe.

**Pete Thomas** · 04-15-2012, 08:57 AM

Originally Posted by Enviroguy

I know that Southampton is almost half a world away from Arkansas in both geography and law. But I was raise in a logging family. And when I was about 10 years old, my daddy told me that there was actually no way to haul logs legally. But someone has to do it or the world would quickly run out of wood.

And it seems that in a world with too many regulations, this applies to just anything worth doing.

I agree about the too many regulations. I don't follow your logging analogy though, can you explain further. I'm very surprised that hauling logs is illegal. Provided the logs are legal. By coincidence, I'm about to have a Southampton tree felled, I'll find out what the law is regarding getting it moved.

Originally Posted by alljoe

well, i expect cool is right about the legalities. it just seems stupid to me. it a shame legal systems are set up like they are. i think this is only a recent history thing too. when i was in school people brought recorders and video cameras all the time and you never heard any of this kind of stuff.

Copyright laws have existed for at least two hundred years, with or without effective enforcement. Back in the days of cassettes, there was a tax on blank cassettes in recognition of the fact that people would tape off of records, but that the law against it was unenforceable. The tax supposedly would eventually go to the publishers and writers who were losing out by the copying.

I think this discussion is not just about copyright now, there is also alljoe's point about videoing a school production.

As I said above, I would consider getting consent from the participants of a school concert to be about courtesy rather than law, especially where very young children are concerned.

**alljoe** · 04-15-2012, 10:39 AM

i understand your point pete but i think its just too hard. every student in the band? at least one parent would object. if you tried in advance youd have to send home forms and hope they all came back. then there are the judges sitting there, the random person who walks in etc. it will have to stay for me and maybe one or 2 more that wont hassle me.

**Pete Thomas** · 04-15-2012, 10:47 AM

Originally Posted by alljoe

it will have to stay for me and maybe one or 2 more that wont hassle me.

Or you could just upload it and probably nobody would bother. And if, as you say, permission is implied by the fact that it's a public performance, then I don't think you need to worry about it.

I have uploaded videos of my son playing football. Thinking about it, it is more or less the same thing.

**hakukani** · 04-15-2012, 07:34 PM

At our schools, a release form is provided with the initial package of forms that are sent home to the kids for use of both images and audio. Teachers are also requested to sign this same release.

**Bill Mecca** · 04-15-2012, 07:49 PM

Originally Posted by hakukani

At our schools, a release form is provided with the initial package of forms that are sent home to the kids for use of both images and audio. Teachers are also requested to sign this same release.

same here

**Pete Thomas** · 04-20-2012, 07:27 PM

Just so's you all know what this thread is all about:

http://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthr...t-is-this-tune

**CooolJazzz** · 04-20-2012, 09:52 PM

Originally Posted by Pete Thomas

Just so's you all know what this thread is all about:

http://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthr...t-is-this-tune

I love it, Pete...Great job.
I may have missed it elsewhere in this thread, but did it ever get flagged by the content identification system? I wouldn't have thought so from the arrangement itself. I nailed it at :38 secs. This seems to be one of those that isn't hard for an experienced ear to identify, but I'm guessing that it would be next to impossible for the content identification system to pick up on it. If it does catch it, it will probably be due to the first word in the tags. The whole title doesn't even need to be there. One key word is enough for it to get flagged.

(Edit)
I see now that it was just posted yesterday. Sometimes it takes several days (or even weeks) for things to get flagged. If you're still concerned about it, you might consider dropping that one word from the tags just to be on the safe side. Since you've done everything else "by the book" as far as the license for your CD, I'd say screw WMG (in this case) when it comes to youtube.