Whittaker's Round-up

'Whittaker' has been writing, this week.  While he was away from his desk, lots of news items came flooding in.  Do spare a minute to take a look!

The future of the British Film Industry, by Andrew Dixon on the Creative Scotland blog.
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Elgar Society Website Eases Access to Resources

Musicians, researchers, teachers and concert promoters benefit from on-line library : Access to resources and archives supporting the rich legacy of Sir Edward Elgar has just become easier with the launch of the new Elgar Society website at www.elgar.org

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Two copyright myths exposed by the UK Copyright Service (Why not check all ten myths here?!):-

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I can legally copy 10% without it being infringement

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This is not the case. Unless it is explicitly allowed under fair use or fair dealing rules, any unauthorised use of copyright work can potentially lead to legal action.

When using quotes or extracts, there is no magic figure or percentage that can be applied as each case must be viewed on its own merit. In cases that have come to trial what is clear is that it is the perceived importance of the copied content rather than simply the quantity that counts.

Our advice would always be to seek permission before you use the work of others

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It’s OK to use copy or publish other peoples work if I don't make any money out of it

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No, except in specific circumstances permitted under fair dealing/fair use rules, any copying or publication without the consent of the copyright owner is an infringement, and you could face legal action.

If the use has a financial impact on the copyright owner, (i.e. lost sales), then you could also face a claim for damages to reclaim lost revenue and royalties.

Thanks to Lucy Robertson, Performance Librarian, for these useful copyright tips.