The Hidden Cost Of Documentaries

[ejp626]

Most of the law surrounding patents and copyrights and other IP, particularly in international agreements, is so unbelievably venal. Basically politicians have been signing away all our rights in the name of free trade. Perhaps you remember the stunt Nader (I think) pulled when he offered $5000 to any Congressman to actually read the entire draft of NAFTA. Some Republican finally did and said that it was the most heinous piece of legislation he could recall ... but it's all like that now.

[SGUD missile]

How do these laws apply to radio documentaries?  I'm preparing a series on Indiana jazz that we will be distributing for free to other Indiana public-radio stations... do we have to get clearance for the music we'll use in that? 

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One would think your blanket licences with ASCAP/BMI should cover such usage ..but then again, I'm no lawyer

One of the things that really gets crazy is ( like in the original cited documentary case ) the fact that in addition to a given SONG ( and its composer and publisher ) , you're going for a specific RECORDING and PERFORMANCE ( the rights to which are probably controlled by yet another party-record company ,etc. ..

also, by wanting to use it in another medium ( the documentary ) you then have to negotiate the mechanical and sync rights on top of all the other BS as well!

When I recorded my CD in 2003 ,I went through the Harry Fox Agency and paid a statue fee to record a speciific song ..no big thing ..

BUT:

after the release of the CD, I discovered I couldn't SELL the chart through my publiher until I got yet ANOTHER clearance to permit me to sell my arrangement until I got a further clearance for that!

had I known that, I would have thought twice about whether or not to record the song.

[7/4]

uh....I think I'll drink myself to sleep. Whadda bother.