m1ssUVA: What music copyright laws apply if you work for a public University and want to email a video?
I work for a public University and we are making a fundraising video to send via email to our alumni (less than 9,000 people). As we are picking out music to play in the background of the video, can we just use any MP3 or do we need to be careful of copyright infringement. I’m not sure about the usage laws. Thank you!
Answers and Views:
Answer by scott b
The same as for everyone else. If it’s copyrighted material, it’s illegal to use it without the owner’s permission.
You can use the “fair use” doctrine of copyright law. Depending on how it’s interpreted, some people say 3 seconds, others say 10 seconds, some go so far as 30 seconds of a copyrighted song, but I’ve never seen anyone go more than 30 seconds for a “fair use” opinion.
It is often easier (and cheaper) to write a letter to the published explaining what you are going to do with the song. If you are a non-profit (a public university is), they will often allow you to use it free of charge or for a nominal fee. They may let you use it for free provided you put a note in the credits that says Song by Artist Used with permission in the credits of your video.
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