Fair Use in Music Patrick Fulton & Sara Nodine Warren D. Allen Music Library

Copyright: The Basics Grants limited monopoly to the owner of original works Must be fixed in a tangible form—ideas cannot be copyrighted! Monopoly incentivizes further work from authors, artists, etc. Timeframe: Author’s life + 70 years (for works after 1978) Copyright is automatic and does not require registration (or notice) Remember: The monopoly for authors is LIMITED to protect creative freedom

Copyright: The Exceptions Statute of Limitations- Infringement must be claimed within three years of any incident to be valid. Public Domain- Any content that is no longer covered by current copyright law Abandonment- Copyright holder does not maintain documentation Independent Creation- Works created without knowledge of previously copyrighted material De Minimis Copying- Amount copied is insubstantial Fair Use!!

Fair Use Defined “...a privilege that allows someone other than the copyright owner to use a copyrighted work in a reasonable manner without the owner’s consent, notwithstanding the monopoly granted to the owner.” (from David Moser’s Music Copyright for the New Millennium, 2001) So, what determines if a use is fair?

Four Factors of Fair Use Purpose and character of the use Nature of the copyrighted work Amount and substantiality used Market effect

Fair Use Analysis Purdue University, Copyright Basics (

So, what does this mean in real life…? Let’s look at some common questions to consider! Remember: This is not official legal advice; we are merely providing general guidelines!

When is it okay to copy a musical score instead of purchasing it?

If I just scan the musical score and don’t print it, is this okay?

Am I allowed to burn a library CD to my computer? (What if it is no longer available for purchase?)

Can I perform from a library- owned musical score?

Can I perform from a photocopy of a musical score that is not available for purchase?

Can I use a library-owned recording in a public presentation?

Can I show a library-owned video in or outside of class for my students?

What happens in the event of a copyright violation?

But how do I know for sure if my use is fair use? REMEMBER: Fair use is NOT a right; it is only a defense in litigation. Fair use can ONLY be determined in a court ruling.

The Golden Rules If you do not own the item, you cannot make a copy of it (especially for another person). When in doubt, play it safe and DO NOT make copies in any format!

Questions? Licensed by: Creative CommonsCreative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International Created by: Patrick Fulton & Sara Nodine Warren D. Allen Music Library