Copyright Advice For CD Duplication
Before proceeding with a CD duplication order it is wise to consider whether you have all the necessary copyright permissions in place to manufacture or duplicate the discs. We can offer some basic copyright advice for CD duplication orders.
Firstly, if you are the owner of the entire contents of the disc and artwork then you are in theory the copyright owner and you can proceed to copy, duplicate or replicate the contents and artwork. However if any part of the disc content or artwork is owned or controlled by a third party you will need to obtain relevant copyright permissions.
The 3 main elements of copyright involved in CD duplication or replication are:
1, Intellectual rights
2, Sound recording rights
3, Artwork rights
Intellectual rights involves the writers of the song and music content of the disc. Writers will usually assign their intellectual rights to a publisher and/or a collection society such as MCPS. If you are the sole writer of the disc contents and you have not assigned your intellectual rights then you do not need to obtain any copyright permissions in relation to the IPR (Intellectual Property Rights). Most writers/publishers will register their works with an agency such as MCPS and in this case you will need to apply for an MCPS license to manufacture known as an AFL. If you are performing a “cover version” for manufacture again the MCPS can usually grant a manufacturing license.
We will look at the copyright element “Sound Recording” in the next article.
