[Jim Macmorran]

“A few got into trouble for it..” That was my comment, and I was referring to corporate clients. Big ones. They got hit with either ‘cease and desist” and/or a fine for upwards of 30k in one instance. Turns out that they could have arranged (for 3k) to get the performance rights, and perhaps publisher’s clearance as well if they’d only asked up front. The problem is: it takes SO LONG to contact each publisher and/or owner/label/etc to gain these rights. It might takes months to hear back from them. Most corporate clients’ deadlines: by the end of the week, at the latest. The way many of them get themselves backed into these corners is this: they use ‘placeholder’ music from their personal collections, or by downloading from itunes or other, and then their clients see the video, love the music and say “it’s perfect…don’t change a thing.” They don’t want to give up the music they’re hearing.

I’ve spent hours finding library music which resembles copywrited music in order to make a video that was done for a small gathering legal for web use. And they have to pay me an hourly rate to search the music, edit it, remix the program, plus the library license fees. Hey, I LOVE revisions!

jmm in STL

Jim MacMorran
Audio Engineer/Mixer/Sound Designer/Composer
http://www.macmorran.net
http://www.avatar-studios.com

[Jim Macmorran]

For over twenty years I’ve been telling clients that they cannot use copyrighted materials in their productions. For twenty years many have listened, but some have not. A few got into trouble for it. Today, they figure that if their production is only going to be seen in-house; i.e. for corporate hoo-haws only, and not the general public or a sales team, then they feel justified in using copyrighted materials (music, songs, images, etc). It’s when their productions become available to the general public do they finally wise up and go the route of either: A) Trying to get permission for use of a copyrighted piece (this can cost up to $100,000); B) using library music (there is a HUGE amount of great production music which is quite affordable); or C) hiring a composer to create something of a similar nature to the piece they were originally stealing. If you are losing clients because you refuse to use copyrighted materials, then you are not doing a good enough job of offering alternatives. The goal here is twofold: get paid to do work, and to do it legally. In that order.

Cheers.

jmm in STL