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Music Copyright
About this guide: The purpose of this guide is for information about music copyright, how to copyright music and use copyrighted works, plus news about the evolving world of the copyright and digital media. Sources include: current books in the Multnomah County Library, Internet sites for copyright laws, and information from music-related organizations. This guide is intended for informational and reference purposes only, not as a substitute for legal assistance about music and copyright.
A Selection of books about music copyright in the Multnomah County Library:
Creative License: The Law and Culture of Digital Sampling by Kembrew McLeod and Peter DiCola; with Jenny Toomey and Kristin Thomson.
Durham NC : Duke University Press, 2011.
Call number: 346.730482 M1654c 2011
The authors interviewed more than 100 musicians, managers, lawyers, industry professionals, journalists, and scholars, to place
digital sampling into an historical, cultural, and legal context. It describes hip-hop during its sample-heavy golden age in the 1980s and
early 1990s, the lawsuits that shaped U.S. copyright law on sampling, and the labyrinthine licensing process that musicians must now navigate.
The authors argue that the current system for licensing samples is inefficient and limits creativity.
Music Copyright Law by David J. Moser and Cheryl L. Slay.
Boston, MA : Course Technology, Cengage Learning, c2012.
Call number: 346.730482 M899m 2012
This book covers the fundamentals of music copyright law: what it protects, the benefits of registering a copyright, and what to do when copyright has been infringed.
Music-specific examples describe the controversies pertaining to copyright and music in the digital age.
Music Law in the Digital Age by Allen Bargfrede and Cecily Mak ; edited by Jonathan Feist.
Boston, MA : Berklee Press ; Milwaukee, Wis. : Distributed by Hal Leonard, c2009.
Call number: 346.730482 B251m 2009
A fascinating guide to the legalities of online music distribution, featuring direct answers to common questions about music downloading,
copyright clearance, plus uses of music in social media and online publishing, with business models and examples from legal decisions.
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