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UK Laws on Parody

(9 posts) (7 voices)

Started 1 year ago by seymour totti
Latest reply from beau-jolly

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seymour totti

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Wondered if we had any experts on the laws relating to Parody? It always seems to be a very grey area - if you put new words to an existing song, are you breaking copyright law?

Artists such as Weird Al Yankovic & The Barron Knights do this, but last year there was a big row about the Jay Z/Alisha Keys spoof "Newport State Of Mind". EMI got it removed from YouTube after 2 million views. However, the song was later used for Comic Relief.

I believe this will be addressed as part of the changes to copyright law that are going through at the moment. Anyone know more about it?

My interest comes from writing parody songs myself. I don't want to fall foul of the law but it's a shame for them to just sit at home unused.

Ta muchly!

Posted 1 year ago #
nickb

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I think the answer is if you perform them publicly for money or distribute them, duplicate or broadcast them or cause them to be performed distributed etc etc, then you are infringing holders' rights. The tune, provided it is in copyright, is as much part of the work as the lyric. This is why musicians publish their songs as well as recoding them, I think.

So strictly speaking if you use the tune, you have to seek a licence from the owner. Disney, I understand, is the most assiduous protector of its work. If you just re-write the lyric and publish it to be read in homage to Mozart or Lonnie Donegan etc,
you are probably OK.

Posted 1 year ago #
The All New Jeni B

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Oddly I had this same conversation with my 11yr old this morning. He and a bunch of friends wanted to record a parody of a song, it's written and they've rehearsed, but he said he wanted to check with me.
I told him pretty much what you said above nick, but promised I'd research it at Uni for him.
I think if it's for Charity, most artists and labels will, grudgingly, grant permission or waive any copyright issue otherwise they could be seen to be a bit churlish.

Posted 1 year ago #
simonjmr

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or choose tunes that are over 50 years old, no wait that Cliff fella has altered that recently.

Posted 1 year ago #
rikkor

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To add to the boredom: "Happy Birthday To You" is almost never sung in a TV show or movie in the US. It is still under copyright, so the producers would have to pay. Not a parody, but an excellent chance to show off some arcane knowledge.

Posted 1 year ago #
simonjmr

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isn't it owned by the estate of Michael Jackson along with Apple back catalogue of Beatle songs.

Posted 1 year ago #
rikkor

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If that's true, I did not know it. M. Jackson made a shrewd career move by OD'ing on anesthesia. If his kids can stay away from financial leeches and the nut house, they will be sitting pretty as far as money is concerned.

Posted 1 year ago #
Ironduke

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It is legal to shoot a Welshman with a bow and arrow within Chester's city walls.

Thats my factoid to try to keep up

Posted 1 year ago #
beau-jolly

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and the clocktower in Chester doesn't have a west face so they don't have to give the Welsh the time of day...before shooting them, obviously.

BTW Wasn't Wierd Al one of the "artists" instumental in bringing down Limewire and other file sharing sites despite being a parodyist?

Posted 1 year ago #

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