In the Beginning

What You Must NOT Do

The following are expressly prohibited:

• Copying to avoid purchase.
• Copying music for any kind of performance.
• Copying without including copyright notice.
• Copying to create anthologies or compilations.
• Reproducing material designed to be consumable such as workbooks, standardized tests and answer sheets.
• Charging students beyond the actual cost involved in making copies as permitted.

Copyright ultimately means that no one but the copyright owner has the right to copy without permission.

What You CAN Do

What you can do without having secured prior permission :

1. Emergency copying to replace purchased copies which for any reason are not available for an imminent performance provided purchased replacement copies shall be substituted in due course.
2. For academic purposes other than performance, multiple copies of excerpts of works may be made, provided that the excerpts do not comprise a part of the whole which would constitute a performable unit such as a section, movement or aria but in no case more than 10% of the whole work, The number of copies shall not exceed one copy per pupil.
3. Printed copies which have been purchased may be edited OR simplified provided that the fundamental character of the work is not distorted or the lyrics, if any, altered or lyrics added if none exist.
4. A single copy of recordings of performance may be made for evaluation or rehearsal purposes and may be retained by the educational institution, individual teacher, or music director.
5. A single copy of a sound recording of copyrighted music may be made from sound recordings owned by an educational institution, an individual teacher or music director for the purpose of teaching and constructing aural exercises or examinations and may be retained by the educational institution or individual teacher. (This pertains only to the copyright of the music itself and not to any copyright which may exist in the sound recording.)

Penalties for Infringement

The remedies provided by the law to a copyright owner mean that anyone found making illegal copies, or otherwise infringing, could face:

1. Payment of from $500 to $20,000 (statutory damages) and if the courts finds willfulness, up to $100,000; and
2. If willful infringement for commercial advantage and private financial gain is proved, fines of up to $100,000 and/or two years’ imprisonment, or both.

For more information, see the Ethical Terms of Use Policy