Music

top =__Copyright for music__=

Copy right for music like all copyright issues is a very complicated subject and as usual once you get involve you really need a lawyer. However using the links below there is some fairly simple rules that can be followed to guide a person around the subject. [|Public Media] will get you to the main page and by following the link www.socan.ca below will get you to the society of composers, authors, and music publishers of Canada. On this page there are links and information about licenses and fees regarding the use of other peoples work.

=__Rules for Music Copyright__=

This site starts out giving the basic rules of copyright for music- without a license you may only use or play music by a composer that has been dead for more than fifty years. This is the case for most classical and traditional music from around the world. If however you use a new arrangement of either types of music there is a chance that this has a copyright and therefore you need permission or a license to use this music. [|Music copy help]

=__New Copyright Law?__=

On this site the author Michael Geist takes a brief look at the new copyright law. The government appears to have “caved to US pressure” and put strict rules on digital locks for CD’s,DVD’s eBooks and other devices even down to not being able to opening products that they have paid for. While most of the new law appears to be a give and take affair with over all approval the main stumbling block seams to be the digital lock. Where information from a digital library would have a “self destruct” feature after a period of 5 days! [|Michael Geist Copyright Law]

= __ Downloading Music and Bill C-60 __ =

A 2006 article on CBCNEWS related to downloading music, describes the end of Bill C-60. The Bill was introduced to protect the music industry, which states it had been negatively impacted by the ability of internet users to illegally obtain music online. Studies were done questioning individuals who downloaded online music files, and it was found that the music industry was indeed suffering as a result of file sharing. As a result, it was come changes were proposed. Firstly, they requested it be made illegal to “put copyrighted material into the shared directories of file-sharing systems, such as Kazaa or BitTorrent” (CBC News, 2006). Secondly, it was recommended it be made illegal to bypass copy-protection mechanisms on copyrighted material. Thirdly, internet service providers were made to be exempt from liability.More on the legislation can be found from the below link. [|Downloading Music]

= __ Article on Music and Copyright __ =

An article by Internet.com offers some clarification to when and how Canadians are legally able to download music from the internet. Laws regarding copyright were introduced mainly because of the loss in revenue artists have suffered since consumers acquired the ability to obtain music for free online. The article describes how for Canadians, downloading music from peer to peer sites is legal, but uploading information is not.The article tends to support that Canadian laws are pretty grey, and unclear. However, it describes American punishment as being quite severe, “In the U.S., the online infringement of copyrighted music can be punished by up to three years in prison and $250,000 in fines. Repeat offenders can be imprisoned up to six years. Individuals also may be held civilly liable, regardless of whether the activity is for profit, for actual damages or lost profits, or for statutory damages up to $150,000 per infringed copyright” (Internet.com, 2009). [|Music Downloading]

=__Article on Music and Copyright__=

The below link connects to the SOCAN website, which is the Society of Composers, authors, and music publishers of Canada, is an organization that originated in 1990, although other variations of the group have been around since 1925. The organization is a group of creators and publishers of music, who exist as a group to ensure composers and artists get paid for their work. They do that by collecting license fees, from anyone playing or broadcasting live or recorded music. The website provides information for music users on copyright laws, as well as information on how to use copyrighted material legally. [|Socan History]

=__Canadian Music Publishers Association__=

The CMPA, or Canadian Music Publishers Association, is a group whose work is to ensure that the views of music publishers and its members are heard. Its mission is to "promote the interests of music publishers and their songwriting partners through advocacy, communication and education" (CMPA, 2010). The group advocates for copyright law reforms for the changing digital world, in addition to a variety of other goals. A link of the website connects you to a section of FAQs, where questions such as "How do you copyright a song?" and "How do I find the publisher of a work?" (CMPA, 2010), are answered. [|Music Publishers Canada]

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