Basic Building Blocks To Copyright Compliance
March 10, 2016
If you’re like I am, I don’t always like to read the INSTRUCTION MANUAL. I’d prefer to jump in and try to figure something out on the fly. The problem is that I almost always find out I missed an important step in the process, and have to go back to square one and start over. It’s the same with understanding copyrights. If you miss any of the “basic building blocks,” you’re going to have trouble understanding what licenses you need. To avoid this mistake, Christian leaders need to have a firm grasp on three basic building blocks:
1) What is a copyright, and what works and rights does the U.S. Copyright Law protect.
2) What are the creative works that can be copyrighted
3) What are the exclusive rights of copyright owners and how do they impact the church’s use of copyrighted material.
In our new FREE 56-page eBook, we devote an entire chapter to how your church can establish a solid foundation by learning Copyrights 101. You can download “SOLVE THE PUZZLE OF COPYRIGHTS: Six Steps to Learning How to Do Music Right” for FREE and share with your team and other churches. You will learn how to understand the basics of the US Copyright Law and how it impacts your church or ministry.
These three building blocks are essential to understanding which blanket licenses you need and what they cover, and when you will need to obtain individual licenses from the copyright owner.
Susan Fontaine Godwin is CCS’s founder/CVO, an educator and long-time member of the Christian arts community with 30 years of experience in the Christian media industry, church copyright administration and copyright management. Susan is an author and speaker and frequently writes for several Christian magazines and online publications. She serves as an adjunct professor at the University of Mobile.
About Christian Copyright Solutions: CCS’s quest is to help churches and Christian ministries “do music right.” CCS is an expert on church music copyrights and our primary focus is providing licensing and clear educational resources to churches, as well as representation, administration and advocacy for copyright owners. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Youtube. The information contained herein is for informational purposes only, and is not legal advice or a substitute for legal counsel.
