The Seeking Permission section contains examples of permission vendors and resources for rights holders.
According to Public Knowledge, U.S. copyright law requires that, in order to be eligible for copyright protection, a creative work must be fixed in a tangible format. While a performer may not have copyright to a performance, a sound recording of that same performance may be copyrighted.
The creativity in the process of creating a sound recording involves not only the performance of the singer, but also the input of the instrumentalists, musical director and engineers. Because so many people collaborate in the creation of a sound recording, the issue of ownership may be difficult to resolve.
For more information, see the "Guide to Copyright for Musicians and Composers" issued by Americans for the Arts.
© 2014 Whitman College Penrose Library |