Tell me about copyright

[Bob]

What's legal, what's not?

And what are your sources?


I'm thinking of things like print music and performance rights.

[apion]

The single best resource is a book called "Nimmer on Copyrights."

[pianonut]

you always make me laugh.  try kinko's or a university library copy center.  usually they post specifics and then tell you how many years in jail you'll do, or whatever.  at wcu they say the fbi comes in to check every so often if students have copied whole textbooks.  they put them in their files and lose them with all their other papers.  

[pianonut]

the reason you make me laugh is that i figure neither you or i would have the energy or inclination to copy a whole book anyway.

[Bob]

I was thinking about for teaching. 

What can I copy as a teaching tool, say to write on for a student?

What about groups of students?

Or working with a soloist?  Is it legal if the accompaniment music they give you is copied?

[c18cont]

In the state of Florida, when I was directing, you could NOT use anything in a copy...

I also found it to be true in most national venues...in a Washington D.C. contest we attended, a choir was removed from comp. because the acc. for one number was a copy...That director was a sorry sight in fear of lawsuit, I recall...but ...

That was the old days; seems the modern student copies any and every- thing they wish...Maybe they will soon copy their doctorial dissertation???

  John Cont

[pianonut]

the reason noone is answering is that all of us at some time or other copied music, and have files and files of it stashed away (for accompanying, whatever).  the reason i like the original score, though, is that it is easier to read and less fly away.  but, the copies i tape on (page 3-4-5-6) to the original score so i don't have to turn pages for accompanying (which can be distracting).  

for choirs, i used to take the original scores and xerox them at 60-70% and put a top row above a bottom row (so i could see all ten pages without turning).  this works well unless you have 30 pages.  in which case, you can do the same and rip each swath off as you finish (throwing it high into the air - or have someone fold it like a flag for future performances).

anyway...the way i see it, Bernhard would have responded by now if it was a matter of criminal investigation.  it would make an interesting tv show.  a jail cell full of pianists who illegally copied music (only own copies).  truthfully, i don't think there is a pianist that doesn't want to play the music NOW and before the two weeks are up for it to arrive in the mail or buy at the store.  as long as you aren't duplicating to make a profit - or selling for lessons.  

[c18cont]

In cases outside of official sanctioned events, I don't remember ever seeing a prosecution...I think it's pretty rare, as was said by pianonut...a single copy?...Not a chance...but in official use, it's of course a bit more a prob....

John Cont

[apion]

I was thinking about for teaching. 

There is an exception to federal copyright infringement law called the "Fair Use" doctrine that applies to teachers who use snippets of materials for educational purposes only. 

But after you pay a copyright lawyer $350 / hour to render an opinion with respect to your particular circumstances, you're probably better off purchasing the materials from the publisher! 

BTW, I would not trust hearsay; nor would I engage in copyright infringement just because other people do it.