In last week’s blog post, we discussed derivative works and sampling along with the limitations associated with such. As you may recall, the general rule to have your work protected by copyright is that your work as an artist must contain a level of originality apart from the original work. If this is the case,...Read More
We’ve all heard the phrase, “Steal from the best, but make it your own.” But what exactly does this mean in copyright law? Recording artists sample work from previous recordings, painters recreate photographs, books are adapted into film. Much of what we see today with regards to creative works, we’ve seen or heard before in...Read More
(cont. from The Hollywood Lawyer blog post, “Sampling Music Part 2 of 3: How do I get permission?“) So, at this point, assuming that you now have the copyright owner (i.e., publishing company, songwriter) and/or master recording owner (i.e., record label) on the phone, it’s now time to talk money and see how much $...Read More
(cont. from The Hollywood Lawyer blog post, “Sampling Music Part 1 of 3: When do I need permission?“) Alright, so now you know you need to get clearance for a music sample. What’s next? You’ll need to get permission from the appropriate copyright owners: If you’ll be sampling just the song (composition – written form...Read More
Whether you’re producing some beats or writing a song, sometimes you may want to use a portion of someone else’s music (i.e., melody, distinguishable guitar riffs, catch percussion sounds), be it for a majority of the recording or even just a few seconds [also known as “sampling” – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sampling_(music)]. So, your first question might be, “When do I...Read More
