Bumper Music???

[CourtClerk]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? CA

Question for the copyright gurus. My son's tv production class would like to update their bumper music for their daily news show. The instructor knows that there is some restriction on how long music can play at the beginning and the end of a segment (bumper music), but is unsure as to whether the time it can be played is 30 seconds or 45 seconds.

Can someone point me in the direction of where I can find the law that says what it is definitively?

 

[Zigner]

You might want to check out http://ascap.com/

 

[CourtClerk]

You might want to check out The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers

I tried.... couldn't find anything. Maybe I'm not using the right term in the search function or something.

Who governs this kind of thing? FCC?

 

[divgradcurl]

There is no such definitive statement in the law that says this much is okay, but this much isn't.

ASCAP and BMI are licensing organizations that sell licenses to use recorded music. The only way to be absolutely sure you will face no liability is to purchase a license to use the materials.

There may be "fair use" exceptions that would allow you to use the materials legally without purchasing a license. Fair use, though, is a defense to an infringement action, and it not a "right" you can assert up front to forestall a lawsuit. You can research fair use and try and determine whether or not your use would be likely to be considered "fair," or you can work with an attorney to try and determine whether or not your use is fair.