[Dixielandjazz] Copyright

[Robert S. Ringwald]

My head is spinning...

 ----- Original Message ----- 
From: "willc" <willc at highstream.net>
To: "Robert S. Ringwald" <ringwald at calweb.com>
Cc: "DJML" <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
Sent: Thursday, February 12, 2004 8:26 PM
Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] Copyright


>
>
> "Robert S. Ringwald" wrote:
>
> A couple of years ago I appeared in a made-for-TV movie with my daughter.
I
>
> > played piano for her and she sang. The song was still owned by ASCAP. .
. .
>
> Not quite, Bob.
>
> Neither ASCAP nor BMI own songs. The songs are owned by the composer and
> lyricist or anyone to whom they've sold their rights either outright or
for
> royalties, like a publisher or a record company.  Those owners generally
become
> members of ASCAP or BMI if they qualify and ASCAP/BMI licenses the use of
music
> owned by its members and collects money from broadcasters and venues
(clubs,
> hotels) and pay about 85 percent of what they collects to their members.
> Neither ASCAP nor BMI sell licenses for recording or motion pictures. . .
.
> those are handled by the Harry Fox Agency, which is the collection and
> disbursement agency for subscribing music publishers.
>
> Note that musicians don't participate in ASCAP/BMI royalties unless they
wrote
> the song. Musicians can and do get residuals under various union (AFM, SAG
and
> AFTRA) agreements and those with hit songs, great promotional skills and
sharp
> lawyers earn big money under their contracts with movie and record
companies
> notwithstanding accounting practices in those industries that make the
Enrons
> look like amateur thieves.
>
> Court supervision of ASCAP was lifted about a year - 18 months ago.
> Kindly,
>
> Will Connelly
>
>
>