US Copyright Office Gives Go-Ahead To Ringtone Licensing

The US Copyright Office has issued a decision (pdf) ruling that ringtones that are excerpts of longer musical works or that are taken from existing sound may be considered original musical works in and of themselves, reports mondaq.

"Ringtones that are merely excerpts of a preexisting sound recording fall squarely within the scope of the statutory license, whereas those that contain additional material may actually be considered original derivative works and therefore outside the scope of the Section 115 license.

We also conclude that if a newly created ringtone is considered a derivative work, and the work has been first distributed with the authorization of the copyright owner, then any person may use the statutory license to make and distribute the musical work in the ringtone. "

emily | 7:55 AM | Copyright Protection |
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