Posts Tagged ‘music’

The Mechanics of Mechanical Licenses

Wednesday, March 6th, 2013

By Brian Taylor Goldstein, Esq. Dear Law and Disorder: Does all music (if not in public domain) require a mechanical license to be recorded? I don’t quite understand when it is needed and when a person could pay a statutory fee and move forward without permission. Yes, anytime you want to make an audio recording […]

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Dad, May I Borrow the Car?

Wednesday, February 13th, 2013

By Brian Taylor Goldstein, Esq. Dear Law and Disorder: May we borrow music for an orchestral performance from another organization that purchased this music, but is currently not using it? When you write that the other organization “purchased this music”, do you mean that they actually purchased all performance rights to the music or merely […]

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Commissioners Beware!

Wednesday, January 23rd, 2013

By Brian Taylor Goldstein, Esq. Dear Law & Disorder: When a composer/songwriter is commissioned to write a song, who owns the copyright to the song? The commissioner or the writer? And for either party, when the other owns the copyright, what kind of controls and/or royalties does the holder have? As with just about everything […]

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Ask, and Ye “May” Receive…or Not

Wednesday, January 9th, 2013

By Brian Taylor Goldstein, Esq. Dear Law and Disorder, I am a music professor at a medium-sized state college. We have two questions with regard to live streaming some of our concerts and recitals. We, of course, have paid the ASCAP and BMI licenses/fees to cover the rights for live performances. I believe the licensing […]

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Does Original Music Exist Anymore?

Wednesday, November 21st, 2012

By Brian Taylor Goldstein, Esq. Dear Law and Disorder: I have a small venue. All 3 licensing companies are claiming I need to pay them for my karaoke and music that occurs weekly, but the bands that I have sign contracts making sure they only play their original music, nothing copyrighted. These companies have been […]

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Listen To Your Mother and Get It In Writing!

Wednesday, September 5th, 2012

By Brian Taylor Goldstein Can you answer this question for us?  My soon to be son-in-law is a musician. He has written and recorded many songs, and is producing his first CD.  One of the songs on the CD, he had a female friend sing with him.  If he plans to put this song on […]

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Is That A Music License I Hear?

Wednesday, June 27th, 2012

By Brian Taylor Goldstein Do we legally have to have a music license if we have bands performing in our Country Club at weddings, social events, etc.? Yes. Anytime music is publically performed, either live or by playing a recording through a sound system, a “performance license” is required. A “performance license” is a fee […]

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If We Paid For It, Don’t We Own It?

Wednesday, May 9th, 2012

By Brian Taylor Goldstein Dear FTM Arts Law: I am writing on behalf of our non-profit theater group. Several years ago, one of our volunteers designed a new logo for our theater. We paid her $500. At the time, she was friends with our Artistic Director, but they had a falling out. She recently sent […]

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