Posted by Richard Crowley on 01/10/06 18:29

"James" wrote ...
> If I create original arrangements of songs to use on DVD's of transferred
> home movies (selling the service), anyone know the particulars as far as
> the
> correct, legal way to do it? How/To whom do you pay royalties/fees?

NOTE: I am not a lawyer and I am not even playing one here on
this Usenet newsgroup. However this is what I have learned from
similar situations...

1) Arrangements...
If you arrange a song which is protected by copyright, the copyright
owner automatically owns your arrangement. You cannot publish
or perform it or distribute recordings of it without their permission.

2) Sync licensing
In order to include music in a film or video, you must have a special
permission from the copyright owner called "synchroniation license".
How easy (or expensive) this is depends on what the laws of your
country are. If you are in the USA, for example, don't count on getting
a sync license unless you have a BIG budget or have personal ties
to the copyright holder. But some people have got lucky, so it never
hurts to ask.

> Also, any tips how to locate songs that are no longer/never were
> under copyright? Among others, I'm wondering about Christmas/
> Holiday songs/carols.

You can identify copyright holders (and find links to websites which
identify public domain works) from the websites of the usual suspects...
ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, Harry Fox Agency, National Music Publishers,
Library of Congress, etc. These are the resources for USA only.

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