MUDCAT CD CONTRIBUTORS:

I have been plowing around trying to figure out what to do with the few cases where a song has been sent in (for the CD series) which is actually under copyright.

The situation appears to be very simple. You can go to BMI.com at http://www.bmi.com/licensing/ and learn about it, and from there go to Harry Fox to find out about royalties for the licensing which they can provide.

To have a licenseable song burned on a CD costs less than a dime. They charge two bucks for the paperwork. You can do it on line with a credit card. Information is here. This assumes 2500 or fewer copies being solld which I think is a safe bet in our case. They don't seem to have any special provisions for non-profits.

Anyway, if you have a song on the selection list which is covered by BMI and HFA would you take the time to scrape up $2.10 more or less and get HFA's approval to use it in the Mudcat CD series?

If you can't do this, and your song is not a genuine trad song, let me know, please and we'll try and handle it some way, ok?

I hate to dump this on you but I can't take this all on myself in the time it needs to get done in.

The good news is that Dick Greenhaus has offered to handle the logistics -- a real hero!! --at cost. Burning from master, copying and stuffing inserts, and shipping.   So that hurdle may well be out of the way.

I will try to get out a list of songs I am not completely certain of being traditional or written by the singer or already allowed by the known author personally.

We'll manage, don't worry.

I am open to suggestions about any other path through this issue. This is the one I have found so far. Anyone with more experience than I have in these matters, your help and.or wisdom will be welcome.

Best regards,


A