Questions and answers about copyright law. Trademarks, copyright, and more!
I’m working on a film based on a book that is in the public domain in Canada, but not in the public domain in the United States. I plan to release my film on the Internet (YouTube and Vevo). I am Canadian and will create this film entirely in Canada. Will there be a copyright Read More …
“My film partner and I came up with the idea for a film and wrote the script together. But during casting we had a fight and fell apart and now he wants to stop this film from going forward altogether. I still want to continue but he says half the project belongs to him and Read More …
“I did an interview with a guest for my podcast/film which they agreed to. Now I’m just editing and putting the interview together but all of a sudden, they emailed me and said they want a whole portion of the interview taken out. But that part is important to my film. Do I have to Read More …
“Who owns the copyright to my podcast if I have a guest on and we both talk? Do I own the whole copyright or does my guest own the copyright for everything she says and I own the copyright for the stuff I say? Do I need permission to sell or distribute the podcast?” If Read More …
“Can I use commercial music, like one minute of the instrumental remix of a Jay Z track, as the theme song for my podcast?” In this case it is very likely that you will need permission for this. Unless you’re using the track for educational, research, parody, criticism, or other fair dealing uses then you Read More …
“How does “fair dealing” apply to playing music on my podcast? If I have a guest who says a song really affected him as a child and how he developed as an artist, can we listen to the song together and discuss it on air?” As a general rule of thumb, if your use of Read More …
“If my podcast is about a subject (like “Trains”), can I play copyrighted music about trains, like Tom Waits’ “Train song” as part of my podcast?” Short answer: it depends. Generally, you’ll need permission to use copyrighted works in your project. However, there are exceptions to when you can use a copyrighted work even without Read More …
“My film centers around a couple of fast food joints like Mcdonald’s and Burger King and it’s a major theme in the film with their names and logos are often mentioned. Is this okay or do I have to blur these out because of trademark laws?” You should ask for permission to use ant trademark Read More …
“I’m the author of an independent, self-published novel, and I sent copies of it to a number of film studios and production offices to see if they would be interested in optioning it. One studio, which never replied to me, has announced a project with a plot and characters that are very similar to my Read More …
“A character in my film is singing a popular Frank Sinatra song (New York New York). Can I include that in my movie when I post it online? I’m not using the Frank Sinatra version or any copyrighted music (he’s singing acapella).” Section 6 of the Copyright Act says: “The term for which copyright shall Read More …