Copyright Information Thread - Know the Laws
I'm writing this to be a reference for us DJF'ers when it comes to copyright issues, and a source of info for DJ's playing tunes out, and producers making sure their work does not get infringed upon. I am taking this information directly off of www.copyright.gov and www.RIAA.com, and most copyright issues are found in Title 17 of The United States Code. I will be using links directly from the site, and any discussion is welcome below, as the legalise can be pretty tough, and obviously open to interpretation considering how many lawsuits there are every year.
I'm going to do three main sections. The first explains who gets to own copyright and what terms mean, which might be more interesting to producers and creators of songs (in legal terms, by no means am I saying DJ's aren't producing art!). The second deals more with info that DJ's and people wanting to know how they can use other peoples' works would be interested in, what you can't do, and punishments for infringing. Third section is what the RIAA says you can do with material you have that is copyright protected.
If there are any typos or misrepresented information, please do reply and we can make amendments to this original post. And if there are any sections in which people would require proof, or a link backing the information up, I will do my best to track down the exact sections of law for you! (Although I am no law student.)
Btw, this is for the US. I would love to include other countries for the benefit of all, but I am not able to wade through all that legal material :eek:
For those that think piracy is ok, or argue that the industry needs change blah blah...
1. This is not the thread. See KLH's 'Rant on Piracy' thread here for discussion on piracy itself
2. It is illegal whether one thinks it should be or not, and as noted below you can be penalized for sharing if you are unaware or ignorant of the laws surrounding copyright infringement. So educate yourself and know the consequences :tup: