Copyright Articles

• Copyright Buyout
• Copyright Licensing
• Copyright Ownership
• Derivative Work
• Documentary Fair Use
• Education Fair Use
• Fair Use
• Music Master Licensing
• Music Synchronization Licensing
• News Fair Use
• Original Work
• Public Domain
• Royalty Free

• What's Legal Placing Products in Your Production
  October, 2009
  by Mark Levy and Michael Bashover
  Placing Products in Your Production
• From Music Video Maker to Hollywood Director
  February, 2012
  by Mark Montgomery
  Editing music videos isn't too hard... all you need is a band, a camera or two, some editing software and a lot of patience! Music video editing is all about the pacing and the genre, and is the one place where you get creative and crazy!
• Fair Use is an Exception to Copyright Law
  April, 2008
  by Mark Levy
  How Fair Is Fair? Copyright Law and Fair Use
• Wait, Wasn't That My Substantially Similar Idea?
  October, 2011
  by Mark Levy and Shaun R. Vavra
  Information you need to know to shoot on city, state and federal properties and be fully protected by the law to save you much time and potential legal fees&hel…
• Their Video, Whose Copyright?
  September, 2011
  by Mark Levy and Roman Zelichenko
  Information you need to know to shoot on city, state and federal properties and be fully protected by the law to save you much time and potential legal fees for your video projects.
• Who Owns My Videos I Post Online?
  March, 2007
  by Videomaker's Editors
• YouTube Copyright Rights
  April, 2010
  by Mark Levy and Nick Andreadis
  How your copyright rights are affected by YouTube. An overview of the YouTube terms of service and how your distribution rights are affected when you post…
• What's Legal Trademarks and Brands in Your Documentary
  March, 2010
  by
  The scenario is simple: background music, either live or recorded, is playing while you are videotaping a scene. Now you have sounds protected by copyright in…
• Take Five: Five Tips for "Borrowing" Video
  November, 1999
  by Chuck Peters
  Pump up your home video with Hollywood's help.
• Copyright: Legal Issues You Need to Know
  January, 2003
  by Mark Levy
  Get permission or face the music.
• What's Legal YouTube: Fair Use Vs Copyright Laws
  December, 2009
  by Mark Levy and Saba Siddiqui
  The most common YouTube Video copyright infringement involves using songs in without permission of the copyright holder that cannot be claimed as "Fair Use".
• What's Legal: Can You Copyright A Name?
  July, 2009
  by Mark Levy
  The Copyright Act states that names, titles, short phrases and expressions cannot be registered in the U.S. Copyright Office. But Wait! Trademark law can cover…
• When Can I Use Public Domain Media?
  January, 2009
  by Mark Levy
  The Public Domain - Unraveling the Confusion of when Copyright claims dissolve. When our country's Founding Fathers adopted the U.S. Constitution, they wanted…
• What's Legal: Producers Rights.
  June, 2008
  by Mark Levy and Gina Gullace
  Private Lives: Who is protected... the producer or the citizen? It depends.
• In Box: reader's letters
  April, 2008
  by The Editors
• A Score In Time
  January, 2008
  by Brian Peterson
  All Things Audio: Music Creation Software, Music & SFX Libraries and Audio Editing Software
• Producer's Rights
  January, 2008
  by Mark Levy
  Musical Copyright Tips to navigate murky shark-filled waters
• How Can I Use Copyrighted Music in my Videos?
  July, 2007
  by the Editors
• Congratulations on 20 Years of Videomaker
  November, 2006
  by Jennifer O'Rourke
• Sound Track: The Copyright Riddle
  December, 1996
  by Loren Alldrin
  There's a whole lot of confusion surrounding copyrights and the use of music in videos. Here are straight answers to the most common questions.
• Mass Media Law
  December, 1995
  by Mark Levy
  Join us for a look at the world of copyright law as it applies to the videomaker.
• Profitmaker: Money From Your Brain
  February, 1997
  by William Ronat
  You can turn your ideas into money. But if you don't protect your ideas with copyrights, so can anyone else.
• Permits and Permission: Keeping Your Videos on the Straight and Narrow
  January, 1995
  by John Waters
  To protect yourself and your productions, you need a firm grasp on the legalities of video. This article will help you learn the law of the land.
• Sound Reasoning: Copyright Counts
  October, 1994
  by Doug Polk
• Transferring Movies, Slides Requires Finesse
  April, 1996
  by Joe McCleskey
  Ask Videomaker. Questions and comments from our readers and answers from the editor
• Music and Sound Effects Libraries: Your Ticket to Powerful Productions
  February, 1996
  by Dr. Robert G. Nulph
  Music and sound effects are a great way to add spice to your video productions. Fortunately, you don't need a musician or a foley artist to get the job done;…
• Regardless of the Means, Video can be Powerful
  November, 1997
  by Karen Director
  In Box
• Copyrights and Trademarks for Media Professionals
  August, 1998
  by Don Collins
  Copyrights and Trademarks for Media ProfessionalsDigital Nonlinear EditingBeyond Weddings, Cracking the Commercial Market
• Videomaker FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions
  August, 1998
  by Joe McCleskey
  Frequently asked questions from you, frequently offered answers from us.
• Shoot with Caution: Video, the Law and You
  January, 1999
  by Jim Mikles
  Copyright, privacy and permission are important legal principles all videographers should know about. We answer the most common legal questions people have…