Copyright issues for mock-ups

[drew buchan]

So what are the copyright issues if someone decides to do a demo using a contemporary piece of music (ie still under copyright). ?

I notice in your demo section there are several pieces by composers who I think are alive and well, so presumably they are still under copyright?

Can anyone do a mock-up, and post it, as long as it is not "re-sold" ?

Thanks

[Martin]

We have a contract with the Austrian performing rights organizsation that covers works that are not in the public domain. It applies to streaming and a certain number of downloads but not to sales.
Cheers, Martin

[cm]

i'd like to add for clarification: this applies to demos for which the files are stored on the vsl-server (and therefore covered by a download history)

in case you are posting a link here in the forum to a file which is _not_ located on the vsl server you need to take care about copyright issues by yourself ... in worst case vsl could be forced to remove the link to avoid assisting a possible copyright infringement
christian

[drew buchan]

@Martin said:

... that covers works that are not in the public domain.

Oh what precisley does this mean?

To be clear I wasn't trying to find fault with your practices, I was trying to find out what I could and couldn't do.

I've seen a few other mock-ups of fairly recent music (espceially pop) which are posted online (not on VSL, and not using VSL).

Does anyone really mind people doing this? Are the record companies / artists really fussed about it in the same way they are about a) piracy and b) internet radio stations?

Thanks for any insights.

[cm]

@Another User said:

Does anyone really mind people doing this? Are the record companies / artists really fussed about it in the same way they are about a) piracy and b) internet radio stations?

haha - this was a good one ... using a composition which is still under copyright and releasing this work without having cleared the rights _is_ piracy, doesn't matter which medium you are using for release.
internet radio stations are covered by several special agreements, but this differs from country to country and is currently heavily discussed (regarding fees per hour, per piece, per user, ect)
christian

[drew buchan]

Ohhh, Okay. Thanks for explaining.

So the mock-ups for

Atlantis - The Leviathan by James Newton Howard
Somewhere in my memory by John Williams


in your demo section are covered by the "not in public domain" coverage you have, or have the rights for these been cleared separately ?

Please bear with me, I'm just trying to understand the process.

Thanks for your patience.

[cm]

martin pointed out that our agreement covers presentation of work based on still copyrighted compositions on our website, restricted to the case that the files are streamed from our server.
christian