Music License trouble... (stupid of me...) at DVinfo.net
DV Info Net

Go Back   DV Info Net > Special Interest Areas > Wedding / Event Videography Techniques
Register FAQ Today's Posts Buyer's Guides

Wedding / Event Videography Techniques
Shooting non-repeatable events: weddings, recitals, plays, performances...

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old July 10th, 2009, 08:47 AM   #1
Major Player
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Wheeling, IL
Posts: 270
Music License trouble... (stupid of me...)

So on twitter, I decided to follow one of my favorite composers, XXX XXXX (whom by the way, I used on majority of my wedding trailer) and that was the biggest and dumbest mistake that I have made in my life...
His assistant accepted the following on tweeter and decided to stop by my website where he discovered that 2 of my demo trailers, his music has been used. So he e-mailed me with "illegal music usage, let me know "exactly" how many songs you have used, cue timing, etc, and how much I charge my client for the video, etc, etc...."
I really wanted to shoot myself in the head when I was reading the e-mail...
I guess I am learning my lesson in very.. very.. hard way...

JJ

Last edited by J.J. Kim; July 10th, 2009 at 11:06 AM.
J.J. Kim is offline   Reply With Quote
Old July 10th, 2009, 08:57 AM   #2
Major Player
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Sydney, Australia
Posts: 622
o my gosh.. I feel you man.. that must've hurt..

I mean.. in my personal personal personal opinion.. if I were the composer, I'd be very happy to know that my music is being used in weddings. Its not like people pay to play it on events and stuff... its a free advertising for them as well.. but yeah.. thats just me i guess.

Santo
__________________
If a picture is worth a thousand words, what about motion picture?
website: www.papercranes.com.au | blog: www.weddingvideosydney.net

Last edited by Susanto Widjaja; July 10th, 2009 at 09:55 AM.
Susanto Widjaja is offline   Reply With Quote
Old July 10th, 2009, 09:05 AM   #3
Inner Circle
 
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Vancouver, British Columbia (formerly Winnipeg, Manitoba) Canada
Posts: 4,088
Quote:
Originally Posted by Susanto Widjaja View Post
Its not like people pay to play it on events and stuff
Actually, I BELIEVE that "real" DJ's and such pay a BMI/ASCAP licensing fee that allows them to use copywritten music, just like bars do. Of course, are there "fly by night" DJ's with a laptop full of illegal downloaded music that don't pay fees? Hmmm....
__________________
Shaun C. Roemich Road Dog Media - Vancouver, BC - Videographer - Webcaster
www.roaddogmedia.ca Blog: http://roaddogmedia.wordpress.com/
Shaun Roemich is offline   Reply With Quote
Old July 10th, 2009, 09:10 AM   #4
Wrangler
 
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Los Angeles (recently from San Francisco)
Posts: 954
Quote:
Originally Posted by Shaun Roemich View Post
Actually, I BELIEVE that "real" DJ's and such pay a BMI/ASCAP licensing fee that allows them to use copywritten music, just like bars do.
Correct and, if they don't, the hall in which the wedding is held does.

From the legal perspective, if Muzzey is inclined to sue and discovers that, rather than taking down the material, it was simply moved somewhere else, the OP has incurred liability for intentional copyright infringement, for which the penalties are severe.
Paul Tauger is offline   Reply With Quote
Old July 10th, 2009, 09:15 AM   #5
Major Player
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Woods Cross, Utah
Posts: 310
Quote:
Originally Posted by Susanto Widjaja View Post
o my gosh.. I feel you man.. that must've hurt..

I mean.. in my personal personal personal opinion.. if I were the composer, I'd be very happy to know that my music is being used in weddings. Its not like people pay to play it on events and stuff... its a free advertising for them as well.. but yeah.. thats just me i guess.
So would you film a wedding for anyone that wants it for free? Paying for it all out of your pocket, using your time, just so you can have free advertising?
The composer didn't create that music for free advertising... that's his product.
Music costs money and time to make.
Chris Luker is offline   Reply With Quote
Old July 10th, 2009, 09:27 AM   #6
Major Player
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Wheeling, IL
Posts: 270
I am in process of talking with his assistant and attorney for signing the contract of usage of his music with licensing fee. I have sent them my wedding price package and they will determine how much they would charge for my usage of his music.
His music has been used 3 of trailers and nowhere else which is usually 30 sec to one minute. The entire DVD is usually from 1.5 hours to 2. I guess it's important to them what' the portion of his music being used as to a whole project.
I mean, I am a musician myself and I do respect and admire very talented musicians/composers, like XXX XXXXX.
As long as music fee is reasonable, like American Music Co, and stock 20, I am willing to pay the cost. I have read some big thread about music licensing in this forum, but I didn't know it could actually hit me like this.. but then again, it's all my stupidity of deciding to follow Kerry's twitter...

JJ

Last edited by J.J. Kim; July 10th, 2009 at 11:06 AM.
J.J. Kim is offline   Reply With Quote
Old July 10th, 2009, 09:29 AM   #7
Major Player
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Sydney, Australia
Posts: 622
Quote:
Originally Posted by Chris Luker View Post
So would you film a wedding for anyone that wants it for free? Paying for it all out of your pocket, using your time, just so you can have free advertising?
The composer didn't create that music for free advertising... that's his product.
Music costs money and time to make.
No, but I wouldn't mind if I see my wedding film shown in someone's party because they think its a very cool stuff to be shown :) I'd be thrilled! of course I'd love to be paid for it, but I'm still happy if they just do whatever they like with it because they like what I do.

This is because I already got paid in the main job. which is the wedding day.

For composers, I think their main income is from album sales, itunes download, concerts, commercials, etc.

But then again, like I said, its a personal personal personal opinion.. :)

Santo
__________________
If a picture is worth a thousand words, what about motion picture?
website: www.papercranes.com.au | blog: www.weddingvideosydney.net
Susanto Widjaja is offline   Reply With Quote
Old July 10th, 2009, 09:30 AM   #8
Major Player
 
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: NYC
Posts: 260
Just out of interest - did you credit him in the clip?
Doug Bennett is offline   Reply With Quote
Old July 10th, 2009, 09:31 AM   #9
Major Player
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Wheeling, IL
Posts: 270
Quote:
Originally Posted by Doug Bennett View Post
Just out of interest - did you credit him in the clip?
No, I wish I did.
I am thinking about doing that for my trailers from now on.
But then again, how many wedding videographer/video production service put the composer/musician name on their trailer or highlight? I know some do, but most of them don't, correct?
J.J. Kim is offline   Reply With Quote
Old July 10th, 2009, 09:37 AM   #10
Major Player
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Sydney, Australia
Posts: 622
lucky for australians, we got a license that covers commercial music used in weddings...

US should provide this such license..
__________________
If a picture is worth a thousand words, what about motion picture?
website: www.papercranes.com.au | blog: www.weddingvideosydney.net
Susanto Widjaja is offline   Reply With Quote
Old July 10th, 2009, 09:45 AM   #11
Major Player
 
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: NYC
Posts: 260
That's a big problem JJ. If you had credited him I doubt he would be taking this aggressive an attitude.

This is a very unfortunate trend in wedding video. Hunting out more obscure pieces of music which the client is unlikely to have heard. Creating highlights/montages where 90% of the impact is from the music and then by not crediting the artist effectively claiming 100% of the credit for yourself.

Of course you/I don't necessarily want to credit the artist, especially if we promote our work to other videographers, but succumbing to the temptation is flat out wrong and not just in the legal/technical sense.

Kudos for going public.
Doug Bennett is offline   Reply With Quote
Old July 10th, 2009, 09:49 AM   #12
Major Player
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Wheeling, IL
Posts: 270
This is from his twitter update:

I get annoyed at unauthorized uses of my music, esp. becuz my attorney fees get a little outrageous.
about 1 hour ago from web

I just don't want anyone else to make same mistake that I made.
Who knew following someone in the twitter could get this much trouble...
I am very frustrated and a bit scared even... with this mass...
I don't mind credit the artist at all... OH I wish I had...


JJ
J.J. Kim is offline   Reply With Quote
Old July 10th, 2009, 09:53 AM   #13
Inner Circle
 
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Vancouver, British Columbia (formerly Winnipeg, Manitoba) Canada
Posts: 4,088
Quote:
Originally Posted by Paul Tauger View Post
Correct and, if they don't, the hall in which the wedding is held does.
Thanks for weighing in Paul. Good to know that I haven't been misled.
__________________
Shaun C. Roemich Road Dog Media - Vancouver, BC - Videographer - Webcaster
www.roaddogmedia.ca Blog: http://roaddogmedia.wordpress.com/
Shaun Roemich is offline   Reply With Quote
Old July 10th, 2009, 10:00 AM   #14
Major Player
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Toronto, Canada
Posts: 789
I wish or hope Canada comes up with a similar license fee as Australia, I know Djs through AVLA pay a one year license fee. Would love to pay a one year fee. WEVA should start a campaign of some sort, I am sure thousands of videogs from the US and Canada would love to pay that fee.
__________________
Noel Lising
Noel Lising is offline   Reply With Quote
Old July 10th, 2009, 10:02 AM   #15
Major Player
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Toronto, Canada
Posts: 789
Quote:
Originally Posted by J.J. Kim View Post
So on twitter, I decided to follow one of my favorite composers, Kerry Muzzey (whom by the way, I used on majority of my wedding trailer) and that was the biggest and dumbest mistake that I have made in my life...
His assistant accepted the following on tweeter and decided to stop by my website where he discovered that 2 of my demo trailers, Kerry's music has been used. So he e-mailed me with "illegal music usage, let me know "exactly" how many songs you have used, cue timing, etc, and how much I charge my client for the video, etc, etc...."
I really wanted to shoot myself in the head when I was reading the e-mail...
I guess I am learning my lesson in very.. very.. hard way...

JJ
J.J., I hope they don't charge you an extravagant amount ( I hope they base it on a certain percentage of what you charge).
__________________
Noel Lising
Noel Lising is offline   Reply
Reply

DV Info Net refers all where-to-buy and where-to-rent questions exclusively to these trusted full line dealers and rental houses...

B&H Photo Video
(866) 521-7381
New York, NY USA

Scan Computers Int. Ltd.
+44 0871-472-4747
Bolton, Lancashire UK


DV Info Net also encourages you to support local businesses and buy from an authorized dealer in your neighborhood.
  You are here: DV Info Net > Special Interest Areas > Wedding / Event Videography Techniques


 



All times are GMT -6. The time now is 02:57 AM.


DV Info Net -- Real Names, Real People, Real Info!
1998-2024 The Digital Video Information Network