Tag Archives: copyright

Universal Studios 1, Creativity 0

I recently clashed with Giant Media Corporation Universal Studios over copyright, and lost.  I probably could push it and win, but their lawyers can beat up my lawyers, and whether I’m right or wrong is probably irrelevant. The argument was … Continue reading

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Tired of Shelling Out Ten Grand to Sing “Happy Birthday”?

What’s that? You’re not paying Time Warner, the copyright holder, for the rights to sing “Happy Birthday to You” in a public place? You could be opening yourself up to a lawsuit! That’s apparently what they charge. It’s probably just … Continue reading

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Maintaining Ownership of Your Images

Scott Bourne made some interesting points on the blog Photofocus. He pointed out something many of us overlook in today’s world of social media marketing and sharing – that posting a photo via Twitter (which will apparently soon be possible) … Continue reading

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Fair Use in Online Video

I just received my periodic newsletter from American University’s Center for Social Media, and was reminded of an excellent talk I heard last year by its director, Pat Aufderheide.  She started off by explaining that the purpose of copyright was … Continue reading

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Words Matter Too

Finally giving credit to the “lyricist” part of songwriting, an interesting article in today’s New York Times talks about growing interest in charging royalties for song lyrics.  The article points out: For decades, printed song lyrics lived in relative obscurity, … Continue reading

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Searching for a Soundtrack

Debunking common myths about music for video editing, followed by a long list of free and / or inexpensive sources of music for your video project. Continue reading

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In search of raw materials…

Those of us who aspire to make video on a budget that is significantly less than, say $100 million have our own challenges. One of these is finding raw materials – legally – to incorporate into our work. Music is the obvious shortcoming- unless you’re also a songwriter and musician, you probably can’t afford to pay the prices you’d like in order to practice your craft. But what about sound effects? Stock video? Even with the growth of low(er) cost licensing sources, you almost have to be a copyright lawyer to navigate all the fine print! Continue reading

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Rumblefish: A possible source of music

With all the fuss nowadays about copyright infringement, it’s important to ensure you are legally using the music you incorporate into your videos. This applies even if you’re just YouTubing or making a wedding video. Check out Rumblefish.com for an inexpensive source of music with a decent selection and a great search function. Continue reading

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The importance of music

Music can be the make-or-break element in any video product. The skill with which this tool is wielded can make all the difference. If you decide to use music created by others, insure you read the “fine print”! Continue reading

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