Transfering ownership and licensing rights in copyrighted works
In copyright law, it is a statutory right of an author to terminate a transfer or license after 35 years. Specific requirements apply to the timing and making of the termination request. You should consult an attorney if you are considering exercising a termination right or if another person has exercised, or intends to exercise,
What is the termination right? Read More »
No. Copyright transfer forms are not available from the Copyright Office.
Are copyright transfer forms available from the Copyright Office? Read More »
It is not mandatory to have an attorney represent you in music and sound recording license matters. You may represent yourself in music and sound recording licensing matters. Music and sound recording regulations, requirements and procedures are detailed and complex, however, so the assistance of a competent attorney can be very beneficial.
Do I need an attorney to help with music and sound recording licensing matters? Read More »
Yes, a compulsory license to make and sell a cover version of another person’s song exists, subject to some conditions. The Copyright Act allows anyone to make a recording of a cover version of a nondramatic musical work, but the owner of the copyright in the musical work must have the first chance to do
Can I record and sell a cover version of another person’s song without their permission? Read More »
A mechanical license is a license to make and distribute copies of a recording of a musical work.
What is a mechanical license? Read More »
A compulsory license is a statutory license that allows anyone to use a particular kind of copyrighted work without the owner’s permission, provided a fee is paid and prescribed legal procedures are followed. One of the more popular compulsory licenses is the statutory license to make and distribute copies of a recording of a cover
What is a compulsory license? Read More »
A statutory license is a license to make specified uses of certain kinds of copyrighted works that Congress grants in a statute. The statute may specify the terms of the license, such as a requirement to pay a royalty and the manner of calculating the amount of the royalty that must be paid. Congress has
What are statutory licenses? Read More »
A copyright license usually will remain in effect even if ownership of the copyright is transferred to someone else.
What happens to a license if the copyright owner transfers ownership to someone else? Read More »
Yes, a copyright license may be either exclusive or nonexclusive.
Can a copyright license be made exclusive? Can it be made nonexclusive? Read More »
Yes. A copyright owner may grant a license of any or all of the rights of copyright ownership. The grant may include all of the copyright owner’s rights, only one of the owner’s rights, or a specified subset of the owner’s rights. Thus, for example, a copyright owner might grant a licensee the right to
Can the rights of copyright ownership be unbundled and licensed separately? Read More »
