[WTA] Rules & Regulation of Covering a song?

W

wiguan88

New member
First of all, sorry if I'm asking in the wrong section.

I want to ask, if we want to cover, remix and change lyrics a little bit of other people song, let's say a classical song in 1950's.

Is there any bad thing will happen to me from the law? Copyright?
It's from the Alfred Hitchcock movie.

Thanks in advance.

p/s: Sorry if this is a very stupid question.
 
The ground will open up underneath your feet and you will plummet into fiery depths, where you will be torn asunder. Beasts will feed on your still warm blood, and squeeze your beating heart. They will grab your entrails and hang them around the walls like christmas streamers . . .

Copyright is vested in the creator of a work. If you make use of someone else's work you will need their permission. If you produce a commercial product using that material you will have to pay royalties.

However, chances are that no-one except you and a few friends will ever get to hear it, and the likelihood of you being revealed as an authorized user of that work is very low.

Something bad could happen to you, but it is highly unlikely. But it is a risk you have to assess.
 
gecko zzed said:
The ground will open up underneath your feet and you will plummet into fiery depths, where you will be torn asunder. Beasts will feed on your still warm blood, and squeeze your beating heart. They will grab your entrails and hang them around the walls like christmas streamers . . .

Copyright is vested in the creator of a work. If you make use of someone else's work you will need their permission. If you produce a commercial product using that material you will have to pay royalties.

However, chances are that no-one except you and a few friends will ever get to hear it, and the likelihood of you being revealed as an authorized user of that work is very low.

Something bad could happen to you, but it is highly unlikely. But it is a risk you have to assess.
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I got you! :eek: :eek: :eek:

Yeah... I guess I revert back to just sharing among friends. :laughings:


muttley600 said:
Dude you live in Malaysia, have been to one of your shopping malls there...
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Err... I hope it's not a bad thing that you saw... :rolleyes:
 
Which that mean, if someone else use my song or derivative works of mine, I got royalties yeah?

How to assure that? Sorry another question...
 
wiguan88 said:
Which that mean, if someone else use my song or derivative works of mine, I got royalties yeah?

How to assure that? Sorry another question...
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Copyright is automatic when you create a work. However, royalties won't come if someone else uses your material unless you register that copyright. In Australia, there is APRA (Australian Performing Rights Association), for example, with whom you can register your work. They then administer royalties. I don't know what happens in Malaysia.
 
gecko zzed said:
Copyright is automatic when you create a work. However, royalties won't come if someone else uses your material unless you register that copyright. In Australia, there is APRA (Australian Performing Rights Association), for example, with whom you can register your work. They then administer royalties. I don't know what happens in Malaysia.
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I understand that now.
Thank you very much. :)
 
I'm gonna jack this thread for a sec.

What if one wanted to record a cover, but just give the recording away? I hope not. Seal has plenty of money.

...you can have your thread back now
 
theD1CKENS said:
I'm gonna jack this thread for a sec.

What if one wanted to record a cover, but just give the recording away? I hope not. Seal has plenty of money.

...you can have your thread back now
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That's relevant question, I would like to know the answer for this as well.
 
theD1CKENS said:
I'm gonna jack this thread for a sec.

What if one wanted to record a cover, but just give the recording away? I hope not. Seal has plenty of money.

...you can have your thread back now
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It makes no difference. Seal owns the copyright to his material. It doesn't matter whether your intention is to make a profit from it or just give it away. You still need permission to use it. And the amount of money a composer has is irrelevant.
 
I thought covers were not a violation at live gigs. What about the thousands of covers on youtube? Those are all illegal? The song writer could cease and desist that?
 
arcadeko said:
I thought covers were not a violation at live gigs. What about the thousands of covers on youtube? Those are all illegal? The song writer could cease and desist that?
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Live gigs are covered because the music venue is supposed to have a license from ASCAP or BMI (Performing Rights Org). The venue owner has to purchase a license. Not sure if he has to send in a queue sheet or if the PRO bases royalties off of statistical data.

All those covers on YT are illegal. I doubt anyone there got a mechanical license to cover a song.
 
Soooo....lemme get this straight

the venue I perform a cover in is responsible for covering any lawsuits that may or may not arise?...and the same should apply for YT, right?

I was always under the assumption that, as long as I didn't make money selling another artists material, or claim it as my own, I was in the clear
 
From my recent reading at CD Baby blog, we can get license for the cover using a service called limelight.

Now, then...

Is it worth it or just forget about it.

But from strategy, we can use the popularity of the cover song to attract "traffics" into our original piece.
 
Armistice said:
IF you could post some pics when the tearing asunder happens, that'd be really cool....:)
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pics?? what kinda sadistic bastards are on this board anyway? .... When it comes to carnage, video is where it's at. get it on youtube or gtfo!
 
theD1CKENS said:
Soooo....lemme get this straight

the venue I perform a cover in is responsible for covering any lawsuits that may or may not arise?...and the same should apply for YT, right?

I was always under the assumption that, as long as I didn't make money selling another artists material, or claim it as my own, I was in the clear
Click to expand...

As a performer, you have a moral and legal responsibility to pay royalties for public performances of someone else's material. It makes no difference whether you make money from it or not.

Venues that regularly host musical acts are more than likely to have a licence, and that licence covers you. Venues with a licence should ask you to provide set lists . . . but they often don't.

In practical terms, it is too difficult for licence issuers (e.g. ASCAP) to police every venue, and so cover bands tend to play what they like without having to worry too much.

As Chili says, covers on YouTube are also illegal. I posted a video of my daughter's band doing Van Morrison's "Moondance", and received a warning about a copyright breach. Some artists have agents that are more vigorous at monitoring YouTube than others.

Do what you like. But recognize that in so doing you are accepting a risk.
 
Damn, that sucks. Thanks for the heads up. I'm almost positive most of the "venues"(bars) I play don't have that license
 
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