Songwriters Copyright and Music Publishing 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A sync license is required when a song is used in what?
- A streaming service playlist
- A film, TV show, ad, or video game (Correct answer)
- A radio broadcast
- A live concert
Correct answer: A film, TV show, ad, or video game
Synchronization licenses cover pairing a composition with visual media like film, TV, ads, or games.
Question 2: To use an existing master recording in a film, you also need which license besides a sync license?
- A mechanical license
- A master use license (Correct answer)
- A compulsory license
- A print license
Correct answer: A master use license
A master use license from the sound recording owner is required alongside the sync license for the composition.
Question 3: What is a 'work made for hire' in a music context?
- A song the writer keeps full rights to
- A work where the commissioning party is the legal author and copyright owner (Correct answer)
- A free demo recording
- A song released under Creative Commons
Correct answer: A work where the commissioning party is the legal author and copyright owner
Under work-made-for-hire, the hiring party is considered the author and owns the copyright, not the creator.
Question 4: How long does copyright last for a work created by an individual after 1978 in the U.S.?
- The life of the author plus 70 years (Correct answer)
- 50 years from creation
- 95 years from publication
- Forever
Correct answer: The life of the author plus 70 years
For works created by individuals after 1977, copyright lasts the author's life plus 70 years.
Question 5: What does the termination right (35-year rule) let songwriters do?
- Cancel a streaming deal anytime
- Reclaim copyrights they transferred after a set period (Correct answer)
- Avoid paying their co-writers
- Extend copyright indefinitely
Correct answer: Reclaim copyrights they transferred after a set period
U.S. law lets authors terminate a copyright grant and reclaim their rights roughly 35 years after the transfer.
Question 6: Registering a copyright with the U.S. Copyright Office before infringement allows you to seek what?
- Only an apology
- Statutory damages and attorney's fees (Correct answer)
- Double the streaming rate
- Automatic ownership of the master
Correct answer: Statutory damages and attorney's fees
Timely registration enables recovery of statutory damages and attorney's fees in an infringement suit.
Question 7: Copyright protection in a song attaches at what moment?
- When it is registered
- When it is fixed in a tangible medium (Correct answer)
- When it is published
- When it earns its first royalty
Correct answer: When it is fixed in a tangible medium
Copyright exists automatically once an original work is fixed in a tangible form, such as written down or recorded.
Songwriters Copyright and Music Publishing 3
A sync license is required when a song is used in what?