IAC Copyright Clearance Scheme | Frequently Asked Questions COPYRIGHT AND LICENSING

For film makers copyright and the licences required for any public show is a real pain in the ... until you wonder what it would be like if someone else exploited your work for profit without permission or payment.

The laws of copyright allow artists, writers, composers and film makers to treat their work rather like possessions which they can sell or rent out to others. They can also refuse anyone else the right to use it. Almost anything picture, poster, product label or film clip you might shoot in a video is copyright. So is most music.

For most non-commercial films casual glimpses of posters in a street scene, pictures on the cover of a book, a product label on something in the background are no problem. No one minds those appearing in that way. If, however, the poster / book cover / product is featured as a key part of the movie there may be objections.  (Be especially careful if the product is put to any bad use.) It is not enough to have bought the picture, DVD or product that still does not allow you to feature it in a movie.

Film clips and music are rather different. Even casual background use of those may cause their owners to object. If someone sings "Happy Birthday To You" in a party scene the rights owner expects to be paid. If the tv in the corner  of a shot has a movie running the owners of the film rights expect the same. For purely private home videos there is unlikely to be a problem but as soon as your video is seen by a wider audience there might be trouble.

If your video features anyone else's work - make sure you have permission to do so.

For most of us the real issue comes with music. Few videos are without some form of background or supporting music. Using music also often involves getting other permissions and licences - IAC members have it much easier thanks to the Copyright Clearance Scheme.

Anyone can try to buy the rights to use music from music publishers but at a very high price. For amateur movie makers not willing to spend a fortune, there are four answers:

1. Write and play your own music or find someone to do it for you.
2. Use "royalty free" music CDs sold specially for use by film makers.
3. Join IAC and use its licence scheme to buy "library" music from specialist suppliers.
4. Join IAC and use its licence scheme and the Musicians Union to employ commercial music in your work.

1. Make your own music

If you can play an instrument consider this approach. There are also computer music generating programs which can give very good results with some ingenuity on your part. But since such programs depend on music samples recorded by professionals do check what the licence with the program allows you to do with it. Some film makers - especially animators - use the simple music tools which come free with most computers to make appropriate sounds. (Part of Albert Noble's fascinating guide to creating animation simply and cheaply deals with this - rent his tutorial from our Video Library.)

Many musicians are keen to try their hand at writing for movies, so if your production is more ambitious than a purely personal family movie ask around. For them a copy of your movie will become part of their portfolio. For you there will be a specially composed soundtrack. Check our Small Ads pages - sometimes musicians offer their services there. Make sure you get a written agreement to use their work for your movie.

2. Royalty Free music

This comes either in CD collections or as tracks you download from a company's website. CDs typically cost around £30 - 35 - far more than normal music CDs - but for this you get a whole set of rights to use the music in your work without further charge. (Check carefully exactly what rights each company offers.) Many of the suppliers also let you buy individual tracks to download at various prices. There are also sources of royalty free music which can be downloaded for nothing.

For most video makers this is a cost-effective and easy solution. There is a lot of choice and prices are reasonable. The catch is that a great deal of this music is synthesised rather than played on real instruments ... and you can hear it. In general this type of music is fine in the background, supporting the mood of a  dramatic or comic scene. If you want music which is to play an important role, almost as a character in your movie, then you have to choose very carefully indeed.

Links to many music suppliers are in our Movie Making Links page.

3. Library music

This is what a great many professionals use for television and film. There is a vast range of recordings offered by specialist companies. Most is played by real musicians on real instruments and many well-known classical music tracks are available this way. Such firms do not normally sell to the public but IAC members can get advice on what is available and buy such music through our Music Advisory Service. To use the music you need the clearances in IAC's Copyright Scheme.

4 .Commercial Music

Sometimes you may be able to use a commercial recording in your movie. To do so you must join IAC, buy licences in our Copyright Clearance Scheme and get permission from the Musicians Union. This is generally granted without charge for general amateur film use but there are strict limits on what you can do with the movie - no sales for example.

Copyright and the other licensing required is a minefield but IAC can help you through it.  Check out our IAC Copyright Clearance Scheme and Frequently Asked Questions pages.

Page updated on 21 March 2008

Authors' views are not necessarily those of The Institute of Amateur Cinematographers

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