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Tech: Bill Caddick copyright permission contact

06 Jun 21 - 04:20 PM (#4109079)
Subject: Tech: Bill Caddick copyright permission contac
From: BDenz

Does anyone know who to contact for copyright permission for John of Dreams?


06 Jun 21 - 04:26 PM (#4109082)
Subject: RE: Tech: Bill Caddick copyright permission contac
From: GUEST,#

Bill Caddick passed on in November of 2018. The song I think you're referring to is John o' Dreams. You don't require permission to do the song, but if you're going to record it you will have to pay royalties. Look for his publisher, or rather the publisher of the song.


06 Jun 21 - 04:34 PM (#4109083)
Subject: RE: Tech: Bill Caddick copyright permission contac
From: GUEST,#

PS You don't need permission to record the song because it was done and released as a recording by the author, BK.


06 Jun 21 - 05:17 PM (#4109092)
Subject: RE: Tech: Bill Caddick copyright permission contac
From: BDenz

Typo in the first sentence. Sorry. It won't let me edit.

I'd like that "don't need permission" from whoever currently owns the rights. Nowhere that I can find is there a link to the publisher or who, in his family, might hold the current rights. Since he write it in 1967 but didn't release the song until later, I don't want to trust that it's now public domain. We believe is paying for what we use if we can find out who it is.

Barb


06 Jun 21 - 06:51 PM (#4109107)
Subject: RE: Tech: Bill Caddick copyright permission contac
From: GUEST,#

You may get some helpful info at

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YoPlEZI8UPA

It's possible the melody is public domain, but not so the lyrics. Are you intending to record it? (I'm asking because I don't know how much time to put into searches. Not a problem, but pls let me know. Thanks.)


07 Jun 21 - 04:42 AM (#4109139)
Subject: RE: Tech: Bill Caddick copyright permission contact
From: GUEST,Graham Bradshaw

It's not public domain. Bill used to earn money from it when he was still alive. I would assume the rights have passed to his beneficiaries.

If you wish to record it, the process is pretty simple. You contact Mechanical Copyright Protection Society (MCPS)and apply for a licence. They will tell you how much you need to pay, and they will pass the money on to whoever is currently registered as the rights owner. Should it drop out of copyright at some point, then MCPS would issue a 'no payment required notice'.

As somebody else said, you do not need to get permission per se, just pay the money and you're good to go.

As an old friend of Bill's, I know that he would be chuffed to bits that his songs (his babies as he called them) still live on after him.


07 Jun 21 - 09:20 PM (#4109288)
Subject: RE: Tech: Bill Caddick copyright permission contact
From: GUEST,Guest

I always assume Sony (own everything), MCPS or PRS (between them own the air we breath) - never the person who actually wrote it (ask John Connolly).
It is a disgrace.


07 Jun 21 - 09:43 PM (#4109290)
Subject: RE: Tech: Bill Caddick copyright permission contact
From: mg

be very very careful if you do canadian songs...totally different sets of rules and you can get in serious trouble.


08 Jun 21 - 01:24 AM (#4109297)
Subject: RE: Tech: Bill Caddick copyright permission contact
From: BDenz

What MG saya above. And I'm Canadian.

We're looking to sign mechanical licences for everything we record with the person/body who can sign that agreement. On our Canadian Lawyer's advice. Hence the question.

Graham, thanks for your post. We already know the how much and plan to pay for 1000 downloads up front, tho I highly doubt we'll get that many. Still. It's the right thing to do. And at 10 cents/download (give or take), it's worth it. For most of the things we've recorded, we're dealing with the artist.


08 Jun 21 - 05:42 AM (#4109312)
Subject: RE: Tech: Bill Caddick copyright permission contact
From: JHW

Only done 1 cd but found some copyrights dismissed where MCPS or whoever didn't know. (Paid up upfront as above for cds whether sold or not)

There are other ploys here I didn't know of. I could Sing a song but not record - but festivals are obliged to pass on notional fees for songs Sung. Also if the writer has recorded it then it's fair game for others - is that true?


08 Jun 21 - 08:47 AM (#4109323)
Subject: RE: Tech: Bill Caddick copyright permission contact
From: GUEST,#

"Also if the writer has recorded it then it's fair game for others - is that true?"

Not quite. If the writer has recorded AND released the song (or given permission for someone else to do so), then it's 'fair game' for others to record and release. First recording rights always remain with the songwriter. Period.


08 Jun 21 - 06:58 PM (#4109399)
Subject: RE: Tech: Bill Caddick copyright permission contact
From: mg

if anyone wants to ever record one of my songs for honorable reasons, it will be free, no strings attached.


08 Jun 21 - 08:01 PM (#4109404)
Subject: RE: Tech: Bill Caddick copyright permission contact
From: Planetluvver

I find some of the advice on this thread confusing. I think there needs to be a distinction made, but I don't know enough to make it. While a song might be "fair game" to record, that doesn't necessarily mean that there is no royalty to be paid.


09 Jun 21 - 05:57 AM (#4109442)
Subject: RE: Tech: Bill Caddick copyright permission contact
From: JHW

Thanks, I did think anyone could record anything as long as it was paid up for. I'd go along with mg and be only too happy if anyone wanted to record a genuine performance of a song of mine they came across.


09 Jun 21 - 10:30 AM (#4109465)
Subject: RE: Tech: Bill Caddick copyright permission contact
From: DebC

I can give the OP the information that they might need to get in touch with the copyright holder to Bill's songs. Second, I am in the USA which has a totally different set of rules regarding recording of copyrighted material. As someone who is NOT a publisher (nor a lawyer) but does record a lot of copyrighted material I can speak to this.

JHW is correct above, but in the USA, you do not need permission to record copyrighted music. You *are required* to pay a mechanical licensing fee if the song will be released commercially.

I try to deal with the copyright holder directly. If that is not possible there are several websites that will do a copyright search for that person. In one instance I could not get a response from a license holder so I just went with a website called Easy Song License

Besides paying for the privilege to release a song commercially, it's also the right thing to do.

Deb Cowan


09 Jun 21 - 09:39 PM (#4109548)
Subject: RE: Tech: Bill Caddick copyright permission contact
From: Ebbie

Back in the '90s, a friend of mine contacted Bill Caddick directly telling him she would like permission to record John O'Dreams. He told her to go ahead but if she makes a million dollars from her record to pay him royalties. A nice, funny guy.


14 Jun 21 - 08:06 PM (#4110200)
Subject: RE: Tech: Bill Caddick copyright permission contact
From: BDenz

Copyright holder contacted. Mechanical licence is in the works.

Thanks, all.

Since Mechanical licences for each single download are these days about $.09, we're paying the artists for 1000 downloads, And I doubt we'll ever hit that. They also will have copies of the mechanical licence.

As Deb says above, it's the right thing to do.


14 Jun 21 - 08:09 PM (#4110202)
Subject: RE: Tech: Bill Caddick copyright permission contact
From: GUEST,#

Good one. Glad it worked out for y'all.