Music Copyright Research

After getting permission to use our song, we have decided to do some research into copyright laws, in the music industry. 

Music copyright is the legal protection given to the creators of music. Copyright enables composers, recording artists, musicians and other creatives to be recognised and paid for their work.If a piece of music is protected by copyright this means that you must not broadcast it without clearing it, reporting it and paying for it.

The first statute for copyright law was invented in 1710, and originally was only used for books.  Over time other uses such as translations and derivative works were made subject to copyright and copyright now covers a wide range of works, including maps,performances, paintings, photographs, sound recordings, motion pictures and computer programs.

One modern copyright scandal was when  Napster was forced to close their doors, after an injunction was filed against them. The lawsuit, which began in 1999, marked the beginning of the public’s awareness of copyright issues on the Web, the shutdown, marked the beginning of the copyright fight.Though Napster itself would be reincarnated many times, including most recently as a legitimate music service that was purchased by Best Buy, its mark as the first widely-known file sharing network, and first such closure, remains with us today.

Several exclusive rights typically attach to the holder of a copyright:

• to produce copies or reproductions of the work and to sell those copies (including, typically, electronic copies)
• to import or export the work
• to create derivative works (works that adapt the original work)
• to perform or display the work publicly
• to sell or assign these rights to others
• to transmit or display by radio or video.

The phrase "exclusive right" means that only the copyright holder is free to exercise those rights, and others are prohibited from using the work without the holder's permission.