Church Copyright License Inc

Scott J said:

Does anyone know what the laws are regarding copying music? Or on copyrights in general as pertaining to church music?

Music copyright is basically the same as any other copyright. Current law (according to the Bern Convention) mandates that copyright exists for the life of the author plus 50 years. However, American law was formerly somewhat different; in general, any song published before 1922 is likely in the public domain, though there are probably a few exceptions on both sides of that date.

For any copyrighted song, naturally you require permission to copy it (i.e. record it, project the lyrics on screen, print it in the bulletin, etc.).

What CCLI does is administer the copyrights for the songs on their list - rather than have to approach every single copyright holder and ask permission to use their music, you pay a license fee to CCLI entitling you to use every song in their catalogue, and they will distribute royalties to the authors based on the songs' use. (CCLI license holders are occasionally required to submit a log of their songs for a given time period.)

Note that merely performing a song in church is not a copyright infringement. I know that in Canada an author has the right to prevent a public performance if he wants, but if a song is sung, that in itself is not an infringement; it is considered "fair dealing." Presumably the fair use doctrine in American copyright law works similarly. It is when copyrighted material is reproduced in fixed form (e.g. recordings, bulletins) that you need the author's permission.

 

Here is a link to the "Fair use" provisions of U.S. copyright law. (Section 107)

http://www.copyright.gov/title17/chapter01.pdf

Here is a link to Title 17 of the U.S. Code (Copyright Law)
http://www.copyright.gov/title17/

 

Interesting thing with copyright...

I have a few modern (allegedly Christian) CDs/songbooks here. Some of them have little notes about the songs from the writers. Phrases along the lines of "...this song just dropped out of Heaven..." seem to be used a lot...

Seems strange that they don't the put the copyright in God's Name?

Seems stranger that the same CD or songbook that has the song-writers saying the songs drop out of Heaven, are the ones with great big copyright warnings in them of the wrath to come if thou doth not get a CCLI licence to use the writers' "hard work"...

Pete

 

A Christian artist should be allowed to have his/her hard work protected by law. Nothing wrong with that.

What I find dissapointing is the numer of congregations who think that just because an artist is Christian, that the church has a right to use that person's music freely and in many cases, steal from the artist. Might as well rob from Jesus (whatever you do to the least of your brothers, you do that also to me).

 

Titus2_1 said:

Seems strange that they don't the put the copyright in God's Name?

You're right. If some songwriters are claiming to have been divinely inspired to write a tune, it is inconsistent to claim a copyright on it.

However, inconsistency on the part of the songwriter does not change the fact of the copyright's existence, nor the obligation of your church to honour it.

 

The greatest songs in the Church are Public Domain anyway

Pete