Applying for copyright

The purpose of copyright is to protect work and only allowing people to use it with the owners permission. Copyright applies to any medium, which means no-one can reproduce copyright protected work in another medium without permission of the owner. Which includes uploading photos on the internet, making a sound recording of a book, painting a photograph, uploading a song onto the internet etc. Copyright only protects work which is complete, if it is an idea copyright will not protect it, it has to be in writing that it has copyright which means you have to apply for it. A copyright piece of work can have more than one copyright, or another intellectual property (IP) right, connected to it. E.g. an album can have separate copyrights for individual songs, sound recordings, artwork etc. Copyright can protect the artwork of your logo and you could also register the logo as a trade mark. Several things copyright can protect are:
-literary works (novels, instructions manuals, computer programs)
-Dramatic works (dance, mime)
-Musical works
-Artistic works (paintings, engravings, photographs, collages, diagrams)
-Layouts or typographical arrangements (Publishing work, book for instance)
-Recordings (sound and film)
-Broadcasts (work)

In the United States, if somebody deliberately breaks copyright laws it is considered a misdemeanor in most states of America. In recent years, companies have become more aggressive to individuals who break copyright laws then ever before. There are various laws pending that may change copyright laws. Punishments for copyright go from a degree of paying a fine to imprisonment. Here are the range of consequences for breaking copyright laws:
-Young offenders can be sentences to commnity and service and education about coyright law. In 2005, in Arizona a teenager was sentenced to a fine of over £3million hours of community service and a 3-month hail term and had to stay away from file-sharing programs and had to take copyright law classes.
-If you are found guilty for infringing, the owner of the copyright material can sure you for monetary damages. Which means the guilty party could pay up to millions depending on how much the owner lost due to lack of sales for their materials.
- Willful infringement can cost someone £600 to £195,000 per each stolen work.
- Innocent infringement, is when the person brakes copyright laws without intenting to can still cost them from £195 to £97,5000.
- In some cases copyright can be taken to court in which case some judges can impose fines on individuals convicted of copyright infringement. Convited individuals can be banned from file-sharing sites or the internet by order from a judge. Repeat offenders/individuals/companies who are stealing copyrighted materials and selling them for profit can be fined up to £650,000.
- Peer-to-peer convicts can be sent to jail for up to three years. Distributors can go to jail for up to five years for a first offense and can be sentenced up to 10 years for subsequent offenses.

The email above was sent to one of Swedish House Mafias managers, which I did not receive a reply.

I had to apply for copyright because I am using a song by a worldwide artist(swedish house mafia) who are signed to Universal Music Group, therefore it would be illegal for me to use their song and make a music video for it. Copyright is very strict on music especially as music is the only thing that gets automatically copyright, so if I used an artists song without their permission there record label could take legal action against me. So ensuring that this doesn't happen I have emailed and phoned their record label to ask for copyright permission but unfortunately they have not replied.

The first step to finding out who to email for copyright permission for Swedish House Mafia's song, was to go onto their website. After getting onto their website I found out what record label they were signed to which is Universal Music Group. I went on to the Universal Music group website which is umusic.co.uk and I found an email to contact which came under media and press queries, so I have emailed them but they have not got back to be. After two weeks of no reply, I emailed them again and am waiting for a reply, but as it has been longer then a week I have called them but did not get through.