On 6/13/06, [EMAIL PROTECTED] <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > > > Never really struck me as a valid explanation, this question of "rights". > My > understanding of copyright is that anybody can cover anybody else's songs as > long as > the proper royalties are paid, where applicable. This was further expanded > back in the > eighties when 2 Live Crew appropriated "Born In The USA" as a theme for one > of their > raps, where it was decided that even in a parody one doesn't need to get > prior permission > to use the composed tune.
Anyone can legally do a straight cover version, with minimal changes to fit the artist (such as changing 'he' for 'she' or whatever), of a previously published song. Anyone can also do a parody of a song without legal permission. However, changing the lyrics to satirical ones, if not parodying the song in question, is illegal. If I rerecorded a Coldplay song and gave it satirical lyrics about Tony Blair, I would need Coldplay's permission. If I rerecorded the same song, and gave it lyrics about how bad Coldplay were, I wouldn't, and it would count as parody. The parody exception has always existed in law. There was a decision in the 80s involving a band sampling Pretty Woman, but I'm having computer problems and can't hunt down the reference. -- The National Pep - Pop Music To Hurt You Forever http://myspace.com/thenationalpep MP3s now up ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Get to your groups with one click. Know instantly when new email arrives http://us.click.yahoo.com/.7bhrC/MGxNAA/yQLSAA/yXLolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> For further Z-related fun, please visit http://www.thebignote.com or http://www.killuglyradio.com , thank you. Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Zappa-List/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
