Berne Convention Implementation Act of 1988 - In an effort to conform to a set of minimum international standards regarding copyright law, the United States agreed to the Berne Convention international treaty which attempts to harmonize copyright law relationships between countries and create a measure of protection for all countries internationally. One of the effects of this treaty was the removal of the requirement for any notice ("formality") or registration of a work for protection. So, while no registration or mark is required, it can be useful if filing a complaint letter and is therefore strongly recommended.
Blanket license - A type of license allowing a music user to play or perform all compositions within the catalog of works covered under the license, without a limit on use, for one (usually annual) payment. Article.
Catalog - In the music industry, a collection of musical compositions are organized into a catalog.
Christian Copyright Licensing International (CCLI) - CCLI provides ministries with copyright assistance and blanket licensing for activities especially related to congregational singing - specifically focused on reproduction, print and display rights. The company provides transposable chord sheets, lead sheets, vocal sheets, and audio samples for rehearsal, as well as the ability to store lyrics for projection, print songs, record live music, make custom arrangements, and stream or podcast live-recorded music.
The Church Copyright License service was born in the music department of a large church — Bible Temple (now Mannahouse) in Portland, Oregon. It began in 1984 when Bible Temple's pastor first became aware of copyright law and a pending $3.1 million lawsuit against the Arch-diocese of Chicago. He asked his music minister, Howard Rachinski, to see what could be done about copyright compliance.
In January 1985, Rachinski began to develop a "permission of use" concept, whereby churches could obtain blanket permission for specific copying activities, which he labeled "non-commercial." It was called Starpraise Ministries and was to be CCLI's predecessor. Vancouver, Washington. Phone: (360) 553-7500 ; (800) 234-2446
Christian Copyright Solutions (CCS) - The CCS provides ministries with copyright assistance and blanket licensing for activities especially focused on performance rights. CCS is the only company to partner with ASCAP, BMI and SESAC to offer one-stop performance licenses that allow religious organizations to legally play, perform and stream more than 17 million Christian and secular songs of all genres.
The idea of CCS began from a call in 2000 from Saddleback Church’s worship pastor, Rick Muchow, who needed help with obtaining song licenses. CCS was launched in 2001 out of a desire to provide online solutions to simplify the copyright clearance process.
The company's founder and CVO, Susan Fontaine Godwin is an educator and long-time member of the Christian arts community with 30 years of experience in the Christian media industry, church copyright administration and copyright management. She is on Worship Leader Magazine’s editorial board and serves as an adjunct professor at the University of Mobile. Fairhope, Alabama. Phone: (251) 300-3404
Church Video Licence (CVLI) - Christian Copyright Licensing, Inc. (CCLI) and the Motion Picture Licensing Corporation (MPLC) partnered in ------ to create Christian Video Licensing International (CVLI) and the Church Video License, which offers blanket copyright coverage for titles from more than 500 producers.
Through an agreement with studios and producers, the CVLI Church Video License provides legal coverage for churches and for other ministry organizations to show motion pictures. Coverage includes playing just a few minutes of a movie all the way up to showing the full-length feature. Los Angeles, California. Phone: (888) 771-2854
Compulsory licenses - An exception to copyright law that grants permission to anyone wishing to use a protected work, regardless of the copyright owner's wishes. Compulsory licenses must be issued for use in cable television rebroadcast, on Public Broadcasting System (PBS), in jukeboxes, for digital performance of records and as phonorecords and digital recordings. The latter are referred to as compulsory mechanical licenses.
Copyright law - A federal law found in Title 17 of the United States Code, originating in Article 1, Section 8, Clause 8 of the US Constitution, which states that "Congress shall have the power . . . to promote the progress of science and useful arts, by securing for limited times to authors and inventors the exclusive right to their respective writings and discoveries." Therefore, while copyright law does provide a "limited duration monopoly" to authors for the protection of their work and ability to receive compensation for their efforts, it also seeks to promote progress and human flourishing through creativity and learning.
Copyright registration - A record stating the date of a work and its content, so that in the event of infringement, the copyright owner can produce a copy of the work from an official source.
Copyright Royalty Board (CRB) - A US system of three copyright royalty judges who determine rates and terms for copyright statutory licenses and make determinations on distribution of statutory license royalties collected by the US Copyright Office.
Cover song - a new performance or recording by someone other than the original artist or composer of a previously recorded, commercially released song. US Copyright law allows the creation of a cover version of a copyrighted work without seeking permission from the original copyright owner as long as the basic melody and structure of song remains unchanged and a mechanical license is obtained. Cover songs are not entitled to copyright protection as a derivative work.
Creative Commons - An online repository of musical compositions, sound recordings, photos, videos, and other creative content that is available for licensing and use on flexible (often free) terms and conditions. Symbolized by a "cc" copyright notice, it essentially provides a standardized way for content creators to grant someone else permission to use their work.
Derivative work rights - These rights include the right to alter content of an original work, take extracts from it, combine it with another work, translate it into another language, or otherwise create a new work from an existing piece of content. A copyright owner has the exclusive right to authorize any work based upon their pre-existing work (musical arrangement, sound recording, remix, etc.).
Derivative work - A new work which is derived from one or more pre-existing works (for example, an acoustic version of a song or a song based on a poem). Permission must be obtained from the copyright holder to create a new arrangement, but the copyright holder is not required to grant permission and may charge a licensing fee for any permission. Once the arrangement is recorded or written in sheet music, the arranger has a copyright in the new arrangement as a derivative work. This copyright only covers the copyrightable changes or additions the new arranger created - it does not extend to the original work itself.
Digital Distribution Companies - Some people call them "digital aggregators." These companies are how musicians get their music into iTunes, Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon, Google Play, and other digital stores and streaming services around the world. The biggest digital distribution companies for indie artists are CD Baby, DistroKid and Tunecore.
Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998 (DMCA) - A federal anti-piracy law that makes it illegal to create and/or use technology that allows people to bypass measures intended to restrict access to copyrighted material. The DMCA also criminalizes the distribution of copyright-protected material, and targets music, film, and software piracy in particular.
Digital Performance Right in Sound Recording Act of 1995 (DPRA) - A United States Copyright law that grants owners of a copyright in sound recordings an exclusive right “to perform the copyrighted work publicly by means of a digital audio transmission.” Article
Digital Service Providers (DSPs) - Also known simply as “music services,” DSPs are online platforms where users can stream, download, or interact with your music. Independent artists, can use Digital Distribution Companies such as CD Baby, TuneCore, and DistroKid to get their music onto DSPs, such as Amazon, Apple Music, iTunes, Google Play, Pandora, Spotify, and YouTube.
Digital Phonorecord Delivery (DPD) - DPD is the technical term for the digital download of a sound recording. For example, an iTunes download is a DPD. Mechanical licenses apply to DPDs.
Digital transmission (performance) rights -
Display rights - A display right is a copyright holder’s exclusive right to show or exhibit a copy of protected work publicly, whether directly or by technological means. However, this right makes it illegal to transmit a copyrighted work over the internet without permission. According to 17 USCS § 106, display right is granted in the case of literary, musical, dramatic, and choreographic works, pantomimes, and pictorial, graphic, or sculptural works, including individual images of a motion picture or other audiovisual work, to display the copyrighted work publicly.
Distribution rights - A distribution right refers to a copyright holder’s exclusive right to sell, lease, or transfer copies of the protected work to the public. It is also known as first sale doctrine. Distribution right authorizes a copyright holder to distribute copies or phonorecords of a copyrighted work to the public by sale or other transfer of ownership, or by rental, lease, or lending.
Dramatico-Musical works (of a religious nature) - Copyright law does not define the terms "dramatic" or "nondramatic." Generally, "the purpose here [in 17 USC 110(3)] is to exempt certain performances of sacred music that might be regarded as “dramatic” in nature, such as oratorios, cantatas, musical settings of the mass, choral services, and the like. The exemption is not intended to cover performances of secular operas, musical plays, motion pictures, and the like, even if they have an underlying religious or philosophical theme and take place 'in the course of [religious] services.'” 17 USC 110(3) /Notes.
Exclusive rights - The privileges that only a copyright owner has with respect to a copyrighted work.
Fair Use - The "fair use doctrine" is a legal defense to a claim of copyright infringement. Its goal is to help prevent a rigid application of copyright law that would stifle the very creativity the law is designed to foster. At the heart of the defense are four factors which endeavor to determine if the use of the copyrighted work was fair. LEARN MORE.
Grand rights - The right to perform musical compositions within the context of a dramatic work. This includes stage performances such as musical theater, concert dance, and arrangements of music from a dramatic work.
Harry Fox Agency, Inc. (HFA) - The principal licensing agent for music publishers of mechanical rights in the US. HFA collects and negotiates mechanical royalties on behalf of approximately 80% of the music publishers. New York, N.Y. Phone: (212) 370-5330.
Infringement - Penalties for using a copyrighted work without permission can be substantial, running anywhere between $750 and $30,000 for each infringed work. If a defendant willfully infringed, that is, he or she knowingly used a work protected by copyright, statutory damages can rise to $150,000 per infringed work.
Interactive stream - A reproduction of an audio recording that is distributed through a web service at the listener's request and that doesn't require the listener to download the file. Interactive streams allow listeners to listen to recordings "on-demand," thus generating mechanical royalties. Interactive streaming services, like Spotify, pay both performance and mechanical royalties, unlike non-interactive streaming services, like Pandora, iHeartRadio, Sirius XM, which pay only performance royalties.
Intellectual Property (IP) - Refers to the broader subject of any property or materials developed through creative thought and ideas, regardless of whether those materials were created spontaneously or commissioned. Generally, it includes the areas of trademarks (e.g. Nike's signature logo), patents (the design of the iPhone), trade secret laws (Coca-Cola's secret recipe) and copyrights which enable people to earn recognition or financial benefit from what they invent or create. By striking the right balance between the interests of innovators and the wider public interest, the IP system aims to foster an environment in which creativity and innovation can flourish.
Interpolation - When an artist or producer is unable to get approval to use a sample, or the license to sample a song is too expensive, they may re-record elements of the music such as the melody or the lyrics to create the effect of sampling the music without using the master recording. This process can be a cheaper alternative to sampling an original master recording, although it would still require the purchase of a mechanical license and giving credit to the original composer.
License - A legal agreement granting someone permission to use a work for certain purposes or under certain conditions. A license does not change the ownership of the copyright.
Limitations and exceptions - Currently, the duration of a copyright on a protected work is limited in time to the life of the author plus seventy years (although there is a process where copyright has been extended). There are some exceptions to the exclusive control that an author has which allow for use without expressed permission under certain conditions. Those conditions notably include specific educational uses, the general use of portions of a work as long as it meets the legal standard of "fair use", or the performance and display of a work during a religious service.
Master use license - Permission to use a particular sound recording of a musical composition in a media project such a film, TV show, commercial or another visual creation or audio project. A master license is obtained from the person who owns the recording (aka the master) which is the party that financed the recording. Usually, these rights reside with the record label if not the independent artist.
Mechanical license - Permission from a music publisher for the reproduction and distribution of musical works on CDs, and in permanent digital downloads and interactive digital streams (not for non-interactive streams). Therefore, mechanical royalties are earned each time a song is streamed, downloaded or purchased (like a CD or vinyl). The royalty rates for CDs and permanent digital downloads are set by statute (ADD IMPLICATION OF MMA??). The Harry Fox Agency has been the primary source for mechanical licenses in the United States. These licenses permit recording artists to “cover” songs written by others.
Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC) - Established in late-2018 as part of the MMA, the MLC will be a new copyright licensing organization which will create and maintain the world’s most extensive database of music composition copyrights on behalf of Songwriters and Music Publishers, collect (but not exclusively) mechanical royalties only from interactive digital music streaming services (like Spotify), and transmit those royalties to copyright holders. Latest news. Article. // MLC AMLC - Article.
The Motion Picture Licensing Corporation (MPLC) - The MPLC was started almost 30 years ago by motion picture studio executives, including a lawyer with the Motion Picture Association of America. Their goal was to develop a process to help the public leverage the work of the creative community without infringing on copyrights. Today, they have unequalled access to Hollywood studios, as well as independent film makers, and have skillfully negotiated preferred rates for corporate and organizational use. The MPLC licenses over 450,000 locations worldwide, including multi-national companies, child care programs, non-profit organizations, federal, state and local governments, private clubs, healthcare, campgrounds and libraries, to name a few. Los Angeles, California. Phone: (800) 462-8855
Music industry - Article; History
The Music Modernization Act (Hatch-Goodlatte) of 2018 (MMA) - The MMA is a significant update to copyright law in four areas:
It creates a new blanket mechanical license for digital music providers.
The MMA modifies the existing law by establishing a new blanket “mechanical” license for digital music providers who reproduce and distribute musical works for specific covered interactive activities (namely, permanent downloads, limited downloads, and interactive streaming). Note: Physical media (e.g., CDs, vinyl) will still require mechanical licensing on a per-work, individual song license, basis.
It also creates a new entity called The Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC) which will collect and distribute royalties for publishers and songwriters whenever their songs are "reproduced" via interactive digital stream or download. To facilitate the process, the MLC will be tasked with developing and maintaining a database of musical works and sound recordings, which will be publicly available and is expected to become the most comprehensive database in the music industry.
The MMA essentially forces interactive streaming services (like Spotify) to concede that a mechanical royalty is in fact owed when compositions are digitally streamed, and shields the service from liability as long as they pay for the MLC’s blanket license and accurately report their music usage to the MLC.
It establishes that audio producers and engineers who participated in sound recordings will start to be paid for their creative contribution to the works when their recordings are played on online and satellite radio services;
It says that digital music services (iTunes, Spotify, Amazon) will have to pay for their use of songs recorded and released before 1972 (these recordings were not previously protected by copyright law).
Finally, it provides a new criteria for setting future digital royalty rates which will require the judges of the Copyright Royalty Board to take into account what a “willing buyer” and “willing seller” would pay and accept for the musical rights at issue in connection with the digital distribution of music.
Free e-book about the MMA: Website Link.
Music Publishers - (also called Publishing companies) The companies responsible for ensuring that songwriters and composers receive payment when their compositions are used commercially. Through a contractual agreement, a songwriter or composer "assigns" the copyright of their composition to a publishing company. In return, the company licenses compositions, helps monitor where compositions are used, collects royalties and distributes them to the composers. They also secure commissions for music and promote existing compositions to recording artists, film and television. Some of the largest publishers are:
Sony/ATV Music Publishing (USA based) - 26.24%
Warner/Chappell Music (USA based) - 19.68%
Universal Music Publishing Group (USA based) - 17.59%
Kobalt (UK based) - 11.68%
Music streams - Interactive vs noninteractive.
Musical arrangements - A musical arrangement is considered a "derivative work" within copyright law and therefore protected. The copyright of the arrangement protects only the changes or additional original creation of the new arranger. This is true even if it is derived from a work in public domain. As a derivative work, it must be first authorized by the copyright holder of the work upon which the arrangement is based. The courts have held an arrangement must add "sufficient originality" to the original work. Key changes, rhythm changes, accompaniment, or other "inconsequential melodic and harmonic embellishments" do not merit a new copyright since "such technical improvisations which are in the common vocabulary of music" "are minor changes which any skilled musician might make." Examples of a substantial creativity could include changes to lyrics, melody, harmonies, intros/outros, song structure, hook lines, chord progressions. McIntyre v. Double-A Music Corp., 166 F. Supp. 681; Norden v. Oliver Ditson Co., 13 F. Supp. 415; Cooper v. James, 213 F. 871. If the arrangement is recorded, either the arranger or the producer of the recording acquires an additional copyright in the sound recording of the song.
Musical composition - The written notes and any possible lyrics of a song by the songwriter. US Copyright Office, Circular 50.
Nondramatic musical work - Copyright law does not define the terms "dramatic" or "nondramatic." Generally, the phrase is interpreted as a musical composition that was not created for use in a motion picture, musical theatre, opera or a dramatic work, such as an advertising jingle intended solely for performance on the radio. US Copyright Office, Circular 73 adds, "A nondramatic musical work is an original work of authorship consisting of music — the succession of pitches and rhythm — and any accompanying lyrics not created for use in a motion picture or dramatic work."
Original work - From the US Copyright Office Circular 1, "An original work of authorship is a work that is independently created by a human author and possesses at least some minimal degree of creativity." A copyright exists the moment a work is captured in a "fixed, tangible medium." So, by writing down the lyrics of a song on a piece of paper, or printing out a lead sheet, or creating an audio recording a song, a work is automatically protected by copyright. Registering the new work with the Copyright Office establishes a reference for the work and therefore offers additional protection in case of unauthorized use or a challenge to ownership.
Orphan works - works that cannot be traced back to an owner.
Performance rights - Relates to the public performance of copyrighted musical works (live performance, broadcast) and the communication by telecommunication of musical works (cable television transmissions, Internet, mobile, satellite, etc.).
Performance Rights Organization (PRO) - Most public performance licenses are issued by one of the Performing Rights Organizations (PRO) on behalf of Songwriters and Music Publishers (and one for Artists/Record labels). In the United States, they are:
BMI (Broadcast Music, Inc.) represents more than 900,000 songwriters, composers, and publishers with 14 million musical works.
ASCAP (The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers) represents more than 670,000 songwriters, composers, and publishers with 11 million musical works.
SESAC (Society of European Stage Authors and Composers) represents more than 30,000 affiliated songwriters with approximately 400,000 musical works.
GMR (Global Music Rights) represents songwriters, composers and publishers of approximately 35,000 musical works
SoundExchange (technically a PRO, see expanded definition for differences) uniquely represents Artists/Labels for the public performance of sound recordings in non-interactive digital streams (such as Pandora, SiriusXM and webcasters).
Each PRO controls a different catalog (repertory) of songs. Typically, the PRO will issue blanket licenses, allowing you to publicly perform any of the songs in that PRO’s catalog. The royalties collected includes fees paid by radio stations, businesses, restaurants, concert venues, bars, nightclubs, sports arenas, bowling alleys, malls and shopping centers, amusement parks, colleges & universities, etc. for performing music in the public (restricted to performances that occur "on the premise" and does not extend offsite or to streaming on the internet). The license fees paid to a PRO are passed on to the copyright owners in the musical works (song composition) — PUBLISHERS (50%) and SONGWRITERS (50%) — as performance royalties for musical works. Overview article.
Phonorecord - "Material objects in which sounds, other than those accompanying a motion picture or other audiovisual work, are fixed by any method now known or later developed, and from which the sounds can be perceived, reproduced, or otherwise communicated, either directly or with the aid of a machine or device. The term 'phonorecords' includes the material object in which the sounds are first fixed." 17 U.S. Code § 101 - Definitions
Print (Lyric) License - Permission from the songwriter or music publisher, permits the re-printing of the lyrics to a song, for example, for karaoke CDs, sheet music, websites, T-shirts, and posters. (MORE)
Producer - The producer is responsible for compiling the song/record/album together from pre-production to the final mastering stage. This can involve picking out songs or helping an artist with songwriting.
Public domain - Works in the public domain are those whose intellectual property rights have expired, have been forfeited, or are inapplicable. Therefore the works can be used by anyone and for any purpose without the need of permission or the payment of a fee to the original composer. A helpful resource is the Public Domain Information Project.
Public performance - Occurs when a song is sung or played (recorded or live) on radio, television, live concerts and programmed music services, as well as through other media such as the Internet . Copyright Act Section 101 defines a public performance as one at “a place open to the public or at any place where a substantial number of persons outside of a normal circle of a family and its social acquaintances is gathered.” The definition also includes broadcasts and streaming.
Public performance license (audio) -
Public performance license (video) -
Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) - a trade organization for record labels which can provide you with more information on the rights of record labels. Washington, D.C. Phone: (202) 775-0101
Record Labels - (also called Record companies) The companies that market recorded music and music videos. Many record companies are huge corporations that own a variety of record labels. For the most part, these companies are located in New York, Los Angeles or Nashville with the largest being . . .
Universal Music Group (USA based) — 29.85%
Sony Music Entertainment (USA based) — 29.29%
Warner Music Group (USA based) — 19.13%
Independent labels — 12.11%
The Religious Service Exemption (RSE) - This important exemption for the church is limited to the performance and display of musical compositions, or dramatic works of a religious nature, in the course of services at a place of worship or religious assembly. The exemption would not include performances "at a place of worship that are for social, educational, fund raising, or entertainment purposes." Also, "since the performance or display must also occur 'at a place of worship or other religious assembly,' the exemption would not extend to religious broadcasts or other transmissions to the public at large, even where the transmissions were sent from the place of worship." 17 USC 110(3) /Notes.
Reproduction rights - Under Copyright law, no one other than the copyright owner may make or authorize any copies ("reproductions") of a protected work. Without permission from the copyright owner or an allowed legal defense, examples of unauthorized acts which are prohibited under this right include photocopying sheet music, using a lyric on a t-shirt, and incorporating a portion of another's song into a new song. Also, it is not necessary that the entire original work be copied for an infringement of the reproduction right to occur.
The rights of copyright holders - There are 6 exclusive rights afforded to those who create original works:
The right to reproduce the work (e.g. lyrics, chord charts, notated sheet music, audio and video recordings of songs)
The right to create another work based on ("derived from") the original work (alternate versions, based on the original work)
The right to publicly display copies of the work (e.g. projecting lyrics on a screen)
The right to publicly distribute copies of the work (by sale or other transfer of ownership or by rental, lease, or lending)
The right to publicly perform the work
The right to publicly perform a sound recording through digital transmission (All the other exclusive rights cover audio and video recordings of songs, but this exclusive right pertains specifically to digital recordings, used on the internet and in streaming services)
For example, when you see the words “All Rights Reserved” on a movie that you’ve rented or purchased, you know that playing that movie before a public audience is prohibited. The same restrictions apply to music that is purchased, broadcast, or live musicians that are hired to play in a public setting. Every business or organization must receive permission from the copyright owners of the music they are playing before playing it publicly.
Royalties - In the context of music publishing, royalties refer to the income earned through the use of a copyrighted song. Royalty payments are made on a per-use basis. This can include album sales, digital downloads, streams, radio airplay and a host of other forms through which songs earn income for songwriters and music publishers. LINK
Royalty Free - Royalty free means the copyright holder has determined that someone can use the work without paying royalties or license fees on a per use basis.
A service (religious) - the weekly, regularly scheduled times when a religious assembly gathers together is typically considered the safest way to interpret this phrase in the law.
Sampling - The use of some portion of a copyrighted sound recording which is incorporated into a new composition. Sampling without permission violates two copyrights - the sound recording copyright (usually owned by the record company) and the copyright of the song/composition itself (usually owned by the songwriter or music publisher).
SoundExchange - A US public performance organization (PRO) which collects royalties for Artists and Record Labels for the public performance of sound recordings in non-interactive digital streams as stipulated by the Digital Performance Right in Sound Recording Act of 1995 and Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998. Like other PROs, SoundExchange issues blanket licenses (for any song they represent) to digital service providers to stream sound recordings over satellite (SiriusXM), internet (Pandora, iHeartRadio), cable (Music Choice, Verve) and other digital non-interactive streams as stipulated by law. The license fees paid to SoundExchange are passed on to copyright owners — RECORD LABEL (50%), FEATURED ARTIST (45%), and NON-FEATURED ARTISTS (i.e. background vocalist, session musicians, etc.) (5%) — as digital statutory royalties for sound recordings. Washington, D.C., Phone: 202-640-5858
Sound recording - A sound recording is the term used for any technology (media) that allows recording to be stored. It conveys the recording artist's interpretation of the musical composition, and the creative expression of the producer, sound engineers and background musicians. US Copyright Office, Circular 56.
Statutory Royalty Rates - The Statutory Mechanical Royalty rate is the rate set by the Copyright Royalty Board (CRB) for compulsory mechanical licenses. Assuming the work has been previously released to the public, this, for example, is the licensing fee the licensee can pay to sell a cover version of a song without having to obtain direct permission from the rightsholder.
Streaming license - Permission necessary to send and receive content in a compressed form over the internet. Needed because Article
Sychronization (Sync) license - Permission from a music publisher to use an existing recording (or create a new recording) of a musical composition in an audio visual work. You must negotiate a sync license with the copyright holder. While copyright owners must grant mechanical licenses, they are not required to give you a sync license, nor is there a set fee for the license.
The sync right is the right to authorize the recording of a musical work onto the soundtrack of an audio/visual work (film, television program, music video, wedding video, video game, commercial). A synchronization licence is needed for a song to be reproduced (synchronized with a video track) and songwriters and publishers receive royalties for sync rights.
Terrestrial radio - Any radio signal that travels along the land (AM/FM), is broadcast from a land based station and is received by land based receivers is called terrestrial radio (versus Satellite Radio or Internet Radio) .
US Copyright Office - The official government body that maintains records of copyright registration in the United States. A work is technically copyrighted once it's in tangible form but registering it with the U.S. copyright office is an additional layer of protection. In order to file an infringement action (to recover damages or stop someone from using a copyrighted work without permission), a work needs to be registered with the U.S. Copyright Office. Visit the UCO's official website for more information.
Video Public Performance license -
Videogram license - Additional license required when desiring to make a video available for sale to the public.
Webcasters - Webcasting generally refers to the online streaming, either live or on demand, of an audio or video source to various simultaneous users. Webcasting is sometimes referred to as internet radio or internet television. Webcasters may be Internet-only services that transmit several different genre-based channels, re-transmitters of traditional AM/FM broadcasts, or services that syndicate music programming as background music on Web sites. (check this, noninteractive typically?)
Work for hire - A work for hire is an exception to the general rule that the person who creates a work is the legally recognized author of that work. Under US copyright law and in some other jurisdictions, if a work is "made for hire", the employer, not the employee is considered the legal author.