[HANASHIR:16130] Re: question of clarification for the term "finders fee" re: song distribution

[Rob Weissman <robw...>]

Ross --

That is not correct.  Unless the music was written as a "work made for
hire," i.e., the music was written specifically for someone who paid you to
write it, the author is the owner of the copyright until the owner transfers
that ownership.  I did a quick check, and could find no cases where payment
of a "finder's fee" was deemed to effect a transfer of copyright ownership.
Terri -- you should make it clear in writing that when you sell a choir the
music to one of your pieces, you are merely giving them the right to make
copies for internal use, but that you are retaining copyright ownership.

Rob Weissman

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Ross Levy" <rossmlevy (at) yahoo(dot)com>
To: <hanashir (at) shamash(dot)org>
Sent: Wednesday, December 10, 2003 9:09 AM
Subject: [HANASHIR:16129] Re: question of clarification for the term
"finders fee" re: song distribution


> sounds to me like they are keeping your song, friend.
> A finders fee, is simply money paid to you for
> "finding" the song. Now that they have it they will
> give you your money and they will copyright it
> themselves. You should not give anymore music away
> without it being copyrighted first. Sorry, I hope for
> your sake I am wrong in this case.
>
> Ross M. Levy
>
> --- Terri Rosenhouse <terri (at) rosenhouse(dot)com> wrote:
> > Hello,
> > I have a question re: the term "finder's fee". My
> > collaborator and I have written some Jewish choral
> > music that interest many; we are still in the
> > process of finding a publisher and distributor. In
> > the meantime, we have been asked by some choirs to
> > sell our pieces to them and we have done so
> > accordingly. As you all know, the printing and
> > publication of music is a time consuming and costly
> > project, so I offered the last interested choir
> > permission to print out one of our pieces for a
> > $40.00  check, given the hopeful understanding that
> > printing rights would be limited to that choir. The
> > choir is interested in that piece; but said that it
> > would give us a check as a"finder's fee".Can anyone
> > please tell me what this means? Thanks, Terri
> > terri (at) rosenhouse(dot)com
> > Songwriter, Educator
> >
>
>
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