Weekly Copyright Update

September 4, 2015

Will Facebook Begin to Face Off Against Video Piracy?

EDITOR’S NOTE: We often field questions from churches and ministries about the copyright issues and legalities of posting music and other content on Facebook. We haven’t had any simple and straightforward answers, mainly because of Facebook’s ongoing policy (or lack of policy) to not police unlicensed content. That may be be changing, especially as Facebook targets YouTube’s dominance in the monetized video platform arena and begins to roll out their own content fingerprinting technology.

BY ELLEN SEIDLER: This past week Facebook reached a milestone when, according to founder Mark Zuckerberg, more than one billion users logged on to the social media site in a single day.  Part of that growth has come from video views (4 billion per day) and so this week Facebook also announced it would (finally) tackle the online piracy that has long plagued the site.

 

Keys to Becoming Successful Artist and Songwriter in Today’s Ecosystem

BY LARRY BUTLER: It shouldn’t be news to anyone in the music business today that the smart (and maybe the only) money is in live performance, merchandising (which is kind of tied into live performance) and publishing (and all of its Constitutionally-guaranteed income streams). The bottom line: If you want to make a living these days on the artist side of the music business, you need to write and publish your own songs and perform them from the stage in an entertaining manner.

 

The Evolution of Copyright Law and Sound Recordings

BY TODD BRABEC: The Performance Right Juncture: Sound Recordings

Prior to 1972, no federal copyright protection existed for sound recordings. Congress rectified that situation by extending copyright to any recordings that were fixed on or after February 15, 1972. The owners of the copyright therefore had the exclusive right to reproduce and distribute phonorecords embodying the sound recording, including by means of digital transmission, and to authorize others to do the same. Pre-1972 recordings remained subject to the protection afforded by state laws.

 

 

About Christian Copyright Solutions: CCS’s quest is to help churches and 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, and  Facebook. The information contained herein is for informational purposes only, and is not legal advice or a substitute for legal counsel.

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