derivative works question: "cover" songs

Evan Prodromou evan at wikitravel.org
Wed Mar 24 12:47:33 EST 2004


>>>>> "WM" == William Morgan <wmorgan-cc-licenses at masanjin.net> writes:

    WM> What is involved in applying a CC license to this type of
    WM> material? Is it enough to simply state that our copyright and
    WM> licensing extends only over the recording of the song, and not
    WM> over the lyrics and composition?  Or must we procure some form
    WM> of permission from the copyright holders before applying a CC
    WM> license (a feat which is essentially inmpossible for us)? Or
    WM> are we simply SOL in terms of releasing these recordings?

I am not a lawyer, I don't speak for Creative Commons, this is not
legal advice.

If it was anything else (remaking a movie, for instance), I believe
you would have to get the permission of the copyright holder. But
covering musical recordings is apparently special. I only know this,
by the way, from reading Larry Lessig's blog:

   http://www.lessig.org/blog/archives/001793.shtml

I don't know how this applies to granting further rights to other
people, though. I suspect it's too specific to really allow you to
grant those rights to others.

I'd suggest that you only put original work (where you wrote the
music, lyrics, and did the recording) under a CC license. Somebody
correct me if I'm wrong!

~ESP

-- 
Evan Prodromou <evan at wikitravel.org>
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