Copyright issues

docmattc · Post by **docmattc** » Mon May 14, 2007 10:46 am

Since I took over organising the music in the parish I've insisted that anything that goes out to the congregation has the correct copyright notices etc to make it legal. This is fine when I produce the service sheets, but time and time again funeral orders of service ride roughshod over the copyright legalities, justified on the basis that its difficult to bring this up when talking to a grieving family. This morning's order of service acknowledged no authorship whatsoever, impinging on four different copyright holders for music and scripture texts.

Has anyone ever been taken to task legally for such misdemeanors? If there was money at stake folk might be more inclined to take my constant whinging about copyright more seriously

contrabordun · Post by **contrabordun** » Mon May 14, 2007 2:07 pm

docmattc wrote:justified on the basis that its difficult to bring this up when talking to a grieving family

How bizzare. Who does the 'not bringing up'? Is it church staff or the funeral director? Most of the times I've played for funerals, I was booked and paid through the latter, who has huge experience of handling the question of the costs of the various aspects with the family, so it should not be a problem to make the F.D. aware that there are copyright issues (and that if he is commissioning a printer to make orders of service, then he, the FD, might well be commercially liable).

If it is the church staff, then it would truly be sad if they needed the legal needle - this is a moral issue. But again, I don't see why it should be such a problem: even grieving families accept that they will have to pay for flowers, etc. If the church has a standard information sheet, could a note be added to the effect that copyright fees will be recharged where incurred?

docmattc · Post by **docmattc** » Mon May 14, 2007 3:14 pm

Its a church issue- as far as I can tell the FDs don't have anything to do with the intricacies of the service and family tend to produce their own leaflets.

I have got the moral issue through in terms of the importance of filling in copyright returns so composers get their royalties, but the importance of acknowledging the (c) holder on the printed page seems to be a bit of an ethereal concept. The terms of both Calamus and CCLI demand this however.

There are unlikely to be any costs incurred as we have both licences anyway, but if there is an information sheet, a note about importance of copyright acknowledgment is a good idea. For weddings I meet the couple, give them the Lit office guidelines leaflet and insist I see the OofS before going to print. The set up for funerals is that the discussion rarely includes musicians and we play what we're told. We have discussed the suitability or otherwise of the result on other threads in the forum

Canonico · Post by **Canonico** » Mon May 14, 2007 3:51 pm

One way around this is to use the hymnbooks which the majority of churches have. If relatives want a leaflet (with the almost obligatory photo of the deceased with a pint in his/her hand) then just put the hymn numbers in and use the books.
On the other hand it isn't rocket science to put the author(s) name(s) and any copyright info under each hymn or on the last page together with the parish's Calamus number. Such info is contained in every hymnbook.
It's often a matter of 'being bothered' to do it.

Reginald · Post by **Reginald** » Mon May 14, 2007 7:21 pm

Is it not the case that if you've got enough hymn books that all the mourners could use hymn books, then it's OK to use printed worship aids 'for convenience's sake'? (Question not statement)

docmattc · Post by **docmattc** » Mon May 14, 2007 9:26 pm

Reginald wrote:Is it not the case that if you've got enough hymn books that all the mourners could use hymn books, then it's OK to use printed worship aids 'for convenience's sake'? (Question not statement)

Not if (as my case) some of the stuff isn't in the hymnbook! Even in the 'convenience sake' scenario though, when it would be difficult for a publisher to press a case for loss of income due to the leaflet, I still think the composer's name etc needs to be included. The hymn shouldn't suddenly become anonymous.

For scripture for example (the readings were included this morning) both JB and NRSV texts can be included in small amounts without any charge, but only if acknowledged.

As Canonico says, its not rocket science to include the attribution if one can be bothered.