skyhighmac Posted May 18, 2008 Share Posted May 18, 2008 I have been working on a video project for a school gratis (free). What should I put for the copyright? I would think it is mine, since I am the author of the work, but how would I also copyright the school? Am I making sense? Thanks for your help! Edit: Any comments? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
solaar Posted June 2, 2008 Share Posted June 2, 2008 Speaking as a musician, there are two 'types' of copyrights. The one you are probably referring to should actually be called author's or originator's rights. Those rights protect the work (the idea) itself. So if you compose a piece of music or write lyrics you are the legal owner of those works and you are the only one to decide who can copy or mass produce them. In order to protect the work itself it is enough to materialise it in a reproducible fashion in some readable or audible form, ie. write it down, record it, film it, take a photo of it etc. and to be able to prove that you were first with that particular idea, script, music etc. Now the other copyright concerns the mechanical rights, ie. the entity who is entitled by the originator (usually through artist contract or distribution deal) to copy and mass produce the original idea. That is for instance a record label and/or publisher in music or a film distributor, TV station etc. in film. You as an author have the right to licence your own ideas as yours. The publisher, film distributor etc have the right to make as many copies of your unaltered work as they wish and sell them. With you as the author, that is. So in terms of copyrights, 1 no other author has the right to 'steal' your idea and declare it as his own 2 no other entity except for the one(s) you have agreements with have the right to mass produce and distribute your works. I would say in your case, you are the author and the school is the distributor with the right to copy and manufacture your film. They must give you full credit as the originator though unless somebody else was involved in the creative process that you should also give credits. Could you live with the school being the 'executive producer' and you as the script writer and director? That would sound fair enough to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skyhighmac Posted June 2, 2008 Author Share Posted June 2, 2008 I ended up putting Copyright 2008 My Name & The School's name. I can live with it. I know the school owner personally so I shouldn't have any problems. Thanks for your advice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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