Basics of Copyright
What does copyright cover, the idea or the expression of the idea?
The expression of the idea
How many exclusive right are there?
6
Who initially decides the split?
The co-writers themselves
What are the 3 main levels of court and are they all federal?
District, circuit, and supreme.
They are all federal!
Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams
What is the definition of copyright?
Copyright is a type of intellectual property that protects original works of authorship as soon as an author fixes the work in a tangible of expression.
What does copyright not cover? List 4 things.
Short phrases, names of a band or company, titles, a feel, the style of a piece
When you register your work at the copyright office, do they assume the split is equal?
YES!
How many circuit courts are there?
11
Who was suing Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams?
The Marvin Gaye family
How long does copyright last?
The author's life plus 70 years
True or False?
It is illegal to name your band after a song or a film.
FALSE
If someone uses another person's idea to create something, does that violate copyright? Explain your answer.
No, because it was only an idea that was NOT in a tangible form of expression
How many district courts are there?
94
What was in common between the two songs?
Feel, speed, the style
The Copyright Act of 1976 covers all and onward starting from which date?
January 1st 1978
Lady Gaga's name was inspired by what song?
Radio Gaga
Person a and person b write a song together. They create a small recording of a melody when creating the song. A few years later, the duo splits up. Person b creates a song using the same melody. Does this violate copyright? Explain your answer.
Yes! The melody was RECORDED and having a recording is a form of tangible expression.
What are the three most common places where you see copyright cases?
New York, LA, and Nashville
The Blurred Lines case got appealed. Which circuit did the case get appealed to?
9th
What are the three things required your work needs to qualify for copyright?
A little bit of creativity, originality, and it has to be in a tangible form of expression.
Name all 6 of the exclusive rights
The right to sell
The right to make a copy of your work
The right to create derivative works
The right to publicly display
The right to publicly perform
The right to perform the recording publicly by means of a digital audio transmission
Once an idea has a tangible form of expression, will copyright protect that?
YES!
They can give advice about the originality of musical expression
What is copyright infringement?
When a copyrighted work is reproduced, distributed, performed, publicly displayed, or made into a derivative work without the permission of the copyright owner.