All Questions
158
questions
27
votes
3
answers
10k
views
What is the legal distinction between watching a YouTube video in a browser and downloading it for personal use? [duplicate]
If the act of watching a YouTube video creates a temporary download in my internet cache, why is it illegal to use an app that intercepts the YouTube API to download music videos to listen to later ...
- 278
13
votes
2
answers
6k
views
Is it legal to buy second-hand vinyls?
I live in a town that has lots of second-hand stores that sell second-hand vinyl records, tapes, etc, for incredibly low prices.
I recently bought the soundtrack from A Clockwork Orange for 1 dollar ...
- 627
10
votes
3
answers
20k
views
Will using a cover of a song in a film free me from legal obligations?
I want to use the song "Whole Lotta Love" in my upcoming film. Obviously the song is copyrighted by led Zeppelin. So I'm planning to get a few musicians and cover the song and then use it as a ...
- 223
10
votes
2
answers
3k
views
Legality of busking a song with copyrighted melody but using different lyrics to deliver a message
Are there any legal impediments to busking a song with melody and lyrics copyrighted in the United States---with the same melody but with different lyrics---on U.S. streets?
Does it matter if the song ...
- 1,273
9
votes
2
answers
1k
views
Performing music in public
I am a musician. I want to perform music. How do I do this without being sued into oblivion?
I am particularly interested in UK law.
As I understand it, a specific sound recording (of anything) is ...
9
votes
4
answers
621
views
Auto-generating every possible melody to forstall copyright: will this work?
This article describes a scheme to have a computer generate every possible "8-note, 12-beat melody combo" and release it under a Creative Commons license so that anyone can use it (not exactly public ...
- 13.7k
6
votes
2
answers
2k
views
May I add additional lyrics to a copyright song without claiming any ownership?
A copyright holder has flatly refused my request to add additional lyrics to one of their songs, for use in a private congregational church setting.
Does this mean it is simply illegal?
I have seen ...
- 309
6
votes
1
answer
2k
views
Can a song be used in a presentation for work?
Does it fall under that Fair Use Act of 1976 to include a song as the intro to a presentation for work if the presentation is being given for educational/teaching purposes?
- 163
6
votes
1
answer
394
views
Is it legal to arrange music I don't have rights to if it is never performed?
I had the idea to transcribe and arrange the music from the musical Ride the Cyclone for a wind ensemble for my school. I got in contact with the company that owns the license (Broadway Licensing) to ...
- 543
6
votes
1
answer
197
views
Uploading images of music notation: Do we violate copyright laws?
As I have noticed, it is rather common on music.SE to post a photo of a few bars and ask for help how to play it, e.g. fingering, how to play ornaments, etc.
Is that according to copyright laws?
My ...
- 113
5
votes
2
answers
2k
views
Does buying a song on Gumroad allow me to use it in my video commercially?
If I purchase music from the link in a_hisa's music video description, can I use the music in my video?
Description:
a_hisa - Happiness Bell
from 8th album「colors 6」
buy on Gumroad
https://gumroad....
- 159
5
votes
1
answer
295
views
What prevents me from making a derivative of a work never fixed in a tangible medium?
Suppose I'm a singer-songwriter in the United States, and at one of my concerts, I perform a previously unreleased (and in fact never-before-recorded) song. I play this song from memory and by ear; I ...
- 3,339
5
votes
1
answer
239
views
Would I be violating copyright by transcribing music that was written over 100 years ago, but published in 1992?
A particular set of piano rolls were recorded before 1913, but to my knowledge were not published until 1989. The recordings are piano transcriptions of symphonic works, performed by their composer/...
- 53
5
votes
3
answers
305
views
Is it necessary to audibly announce a copyright notice when using music licensed under Creative Commons Attribution?
I would like to use music licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported (CC BY 3.0) as on-hold music; however, the only way to provide attribution would be to announce a copyright notice ...
- 151
5
votes
3
answers
13k
views
Transcribing music and the legality of using musical transcription
I'm learning to play an instrument and I would like to transcribe the songs I heard for later practicing. I have some questions regarding transcribing music and the legality of using musical ...
- 161