The first modern law governing copyright protection began with "the Statute of Ann" which was passed by British Parliament in 1709. There have been several amendments around the world since then, including the Copyright Act of 1976 in the USA, and the Copyright Act of 1985 in United States.
The purpose of the copyright law is to promote the use of copyrights and at the same time protect the rights of the copyright owner.
A copyright is an exclusive right given to an author of an original created work. It is an asset, a legal interest, protected by law. Included in the exclusive rights given to the copyright owner is the right to copy the work into any form, including in print, on screen, or on tape.
The copyright law is very clear on copying music. If you do not have express permission from the rightful owner of the song, you can not make a copy. (It is advisable to have that permission in writing in case of need for legal reference.) There have been a number of copyright disputes, although most have been settled privately. You can imagine how uncomfortable it is for a Christian songwriter to address legal entanglements with a church.
Some church music leaders have made efforts to honor the law and have tried to obtain permission first from the copyright owner before making copies. This is often a time-consuming challenge and in many cases an administrative nightmare.
Many have agreed -- the copyright law is fair but not practical. That's why more than 170,000 churches are taking advantage of the Church Copyright License from CCLI.
Do you have any questions about the copyright laws and how they might apply to you and your church? Please
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For more information regarding copyright laws please refer to the U.S. Copyright Office.
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