Radio and Copyright

IssuesKim Fox

JRMC 460: Audio Production

Copyright Laws

This presentation is based on U.S. Copyright Law.

However, links on International Copyright Law and Egyptian Copyright Law are included.

Copyright Laws (cont.) There is no such thing as an "international copyright" that

automatically protects a work throughout the world although more than 150 countries have ratified a treaty intended to accomplish as many of the benefits of "international copyright" as possible. Generally, if a work is protected in the U.S. it is protected in most countries because the U.S. adheres to the leading copyright convention, the Berne Convention, which is administered by the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO).

(from the Copyright Clearance Center)

Copyright Laws (cont.)

Copyright law protects musical and spoken compositions, or "works"; the performance of a work preserved in a sound recording; and the sound recording itself.

Copyright Laws (cont.)Musical works. Performance rights

organizations (ASCAP, BMI and SESAC) handle copyright licenses for the performance of musical works. Separate licenses are necessary from each performance rights organization because each company represents different publishers of composers' musical works.

Copyright Laws (cont.)Sound recordings. Copyright licenses for the

playing (or "performance") of sound recordings historically have been handled directly with the owners of the works, usually record companies. (Over-the-air broadcasters are not required to obtain copyright licenses for playing sound recordings. They must, however, hold licenses for playing the underlying musical works.)

Alternatives to Copyrighted Material

Fair Use

Public Domain Material

Produce original content/music

Fair UseA “fair use” is copying any protected

material (texts, sounds, images, etc.) for a limited and “transformative” purpose, like criticizing, commenting, parodying, news reporting, teaching the copyrighted work. Under the U.S. copyright laws, fair use “is not an infringement of copyright.”

Public Domain

You can use any work that is in the public domain without obtaining permission of the original author or copyright owner.

Public Domain (cont.)A work is in the public domain in the U.S.

either when (a) the copyright term has expired or if copyright protection for that work was not maintained in the manner required prior to 1989, (b) the work is an unpublished work and special rules indicate it has fallen into the public domain, or (c) the author or copyright owner dedicated the work to the public domain.

Talent Release FormsWhy do you need talent release forms?

Permission to broadcast/air the interview The release form could be amended to

cover using the interview on the web and/or in a podcast.

Creative Commons LicensesCreative Commons licenses provide a flexible

range of protections and freedoms for authors, artists, and educators. We have built upon the "all rights reserved" concept of traditional copyright to offer a voluntary "some rights reserved" approach. We're a nonprofit organization. All of our tools are free. From the Creative Commons website

http://creativecommons.org/

International Copyright Law

Information on International Copyright Law:

http://www.copyright.gov/fls/fl100.html

Egyptian Copyright Law

This is a 17 page pdf file from an Egyptian Law Firm on Copyright in Egypt. It is part of a larger document:

http://www.solimanadvocates.com/Publications/law82-1.pdf

Additional Copyright Info

TABLE: Intellectual Property laws in Arab countries and adhesion to international bodies & conventions.:

http://www.agip.com/site_content.aspx?page_key=key_summary_table_link1&lang=en

Project #3: PSAsDue in class on Wednesday, October 13, 2010

You will work in pairs.

You will produce a 30-second PSA. Public Service Announcement Campus organization or non-profit organization

Post the PSA on each of your blogs

Project #3: PSAsDue in class on Wednesday, October 13, 2010

You are encouraged to be creative:

You can use sound effects or nat sound You can use music You may use other voices (but you and your

partners voice has to be on the PSA)

Project #3: PSAsPlease see the course Website for project details

Script samples What to include in your journal Links to sample PSAs What you will be graded on

https://sites.google.com/a/aucegypt.edu/radio-journalism/assignments-and-projects/project-3-psas

Project #3: PSAs (cont.)Due in class on Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Each of you will submit a script (Word doc)

Each of you will submit a journal Submit material via the Blackboard assignment

section DO NOT SUBMIT TO ME VIA EMAIL

Project #3: PSAs (cont.)

RESOURCESSound effects:

http://www.sounddogs.com/

Music:

http://bit.ly/y6Yym

Rare Books Visit – NOW!You should have begun your preliminary research

on your final project topic

Final Project Proposals DUE on Wednesday, October 20, 2010