What's the big deal?
Anyone who puts time, effort, and especially personal meaning
into work of any kind will tell you: For that credit to be ignored
or the creator misrepresented? It can come off disrespectful of the
process leading to the finished work, and unappreciative of just how
much work was put in.
Another problem I feel needs to be explained: When songs or
entire albums are downloaded via the internet: The Artist's "behind
the scenes" efforts - the business aspect - is ignored. The next
album may suffer, because money from the previous album was lost.
See how that works career-wise?
Money is spent on things such as equipment, recording time, the
album cover, CD manufacturing... it is not cheap to make an album,
and not all artists are fourtunate enough to be paid millions on a
well manufacured image. The term "starving artist" was not just
plucked from thin air. We really do have a love for creating and
want to share it with others. All that is asked for in return is
rightful credit, and reasonable payment for retailed products, live
performaces etc... work in
general. |
Copyright
Basics
|
Copyright is a form of protection provided by the laws of the
United States (title 17, U.S. Code) to the authors of �original
works of authorship,� including literary, dramatic, musical,
artistic, and certain other intellectual works. This protection is
available to both published and unpublished works. Section 106 of
the 1976 Copyright Act generally gives the owner of copyright the
exclusive right to do and to authorize others to do the following:
To reproduce the work in copies or phonorecords;
To prepare derivative works based upon the work;
To distribute copies or phonorecords of the work to the public
by sale or other transfer of ownership, or by rental, lease, or
lending;
To perform the work publicly, in the case of literary, musical,
dramatic, and choreographic works, pantomimes, and motion pictures
and other audiovisual works;
To display the copyrighted work publicly, in the case of
literary, musical, dramatic, and choreographic works, pantomimes,
and pictorial, graphic, or sculptural works, including the
individual images of a motion picture or other audiovisual work; and
In the case of sound recordings, to perform the work publicly by
means of a digital audio transmission.
In addition, certain authors of works of visual art have the
rights of attribution and integrity as described in section 106A of
the 1976 Copyright Act. For further information, request Circular
40, �Copyright Registration for Works of the Visual Arts.�
It is illegal for anyone to violate any of
the rights provided by the copyright law to the owner of
copyright. These rights, however, are not
unlimited in scope. Sections 107 through 121 of the 1976 Copyright
Act establish limitations on these rights. In some cases, these
limitations are specified exemptions from copyright liability. One
major limitation is the doctrine of "fair use," which is given a
statutory basis in section 107 of the 1976 Copyright Act. In other
instances, the limitation takes the form of a "compulsory license"
under which certain limited uses of copyrighted works are permitted
upon payment of specified royalties and compliance with statutory
conditions. For further information about the limitations of any of
these rights, consult the copyright law or write to the Copyright
Office.
For further
information: http://www.copyright.gov | |
