COPYRIGHT LAW AND AMATEUR DRAMA

Once the production is choosen there can be a tendancy to rush into rehearsals. Before doing so it is vital that all copyright issues are sorted. Unless the copyright has expired the society will have to pay a fee. Photocopying scripts without permission is a breech of copyright. They must be bought or hired.

Moulin Rouge Costumes

1. Copyright – The Basics.
Artists have to make a living and one of their income sources is copyright. Controlling the terms on which copies can be made or performances given are two of the rights granted to an author of an original “literary, dramatic, musical or artistic work” by the Copyright Designs and Patents Act, 1988.

2. Copyright / Propety Right
Copyright is a property right which means that the owner can sell , transfer or grant a licence to another person or body in a similar manner as a land owner can sell or lease his property. Copyrights are sometimes referd to as ” Intellectual Property”

3. What is Covered Under Copyright Law
For a work to be protected by copyright law it must be both original and recorded in permanent form. It can cover music, scripts , make up designs and even radio jingles. In fact a show may consist of several difference copyright protected elements all of which need seperate clearance. There are of course exceptions to copyright law. Fot example of what is excluded click here

4. Exclusions From Copyright
Not eveyting is protected under copyright law. The main items are

a. Titles : The title of a play is not protected by copyright. However if the tytle is printed using a special or uniquely stylised font then copyright may apply to it.

b. All ideas are free from copyrihght. Anybody can right there owm wersion of a musical about a flying car but it cannot be a straight copy of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

c. Artistic work that is in the public domain  is free of copyright. For more information about the duration of copyright, click here.