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#2536681 05/04/16 04:41 PM
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I am thinking to create a fake book which will contain only lead sheet and chords nothing more.. it will not be a arrangement book.. should I have to request necessary permissions for every song? (for publishing)

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Melodies are protected by copyright; chord progressions are not.

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True on the above, BUT

Titles are copyrighted (or trademarked), plus you're entering into problems with anti-competition clauses and laws.

In other words, it's NOT legal to give me the chord progression of "Let it be" regardless of how easy it is, or how stupid it is to not. frown

*I think*!

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I don't know what copyright law is. But the BlurredLines/GotToGiveItUp jury verdict indicated to me that ignorance seems to rule the process. Our (USA) legal process at its dumbest.

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Originally Posted by indigo_dave
I don't know what copyright law is. But the BlurredLines/GotToGiveItUp jury verdict indicated to me that ignorance seems to rule the process. Our (USA) legal process at its dumbest.

I think that's about the nub of it. Do what you want and let the devil take the hindmost. The wealthy owners of 'copyright' and their fat-cat agents are too busy shovelling cash to worry about what the small fry get up to. The rest are too poor to underwrite the cost of litigation.

The argument between Led Zeppelin and Spirit amply demonstrates there can be no right or wrong.

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Originally Posted by saratogaUSA
I am thinking to create a fake book which will contain only lead sheet and chords nothing more.. it will not be a arrangement book.. should I have to request necessary permissions for every song? (for publishing)


Yes absolutely no doubt unquestionably if you have to ask you should probably consult a lawyer

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In absolute theory, yes, you need permission for everything. As a practical matter, it depends what you do with your fake book. If you just play from it and maybe Xerox it for a few friends, nobody's going to care. If you sell it or give it away widely so that it competes with the folks who have the publishing rights, they can sue, and they'll win.

Question: How is your fake book better or different from all the others that are already published? If you have a good answer, take that to the rights holders and propose that you author it for them to publish.



-- J.S.

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John: He did mention "for publishing", which prompted me to give my reply. Otherwise, obviously if one wants to play a song he heard from the radio and maybe note it down, so that he won't forget, then 99.999999% nothing bad will happen... grin

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I think many song titles are not copyrighted:
http://www.askamusiclawyer.com/archive/is-my-song-title-protected-by-copyright.html

I remember liking a band called Stompbox years ago. They put out a CD and many of the songs on it had the same name as famous songs:

1. No Woods
2. The Making Of Pump
5. Forever (In Blue Jeans)
8. Fool For The City
12. Carry On My Wayward Son

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I saw a commercial fake book that just used fake names, "Ought Um Leaves", "Let it Bee", etc., presumably to deal with this issue. As far as I could tell the person was still selling it, so I guess he didn't have problems, but I don't known anything for sure.

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