Can I Make Arrangements of Original Music without Breaking Copyright?

 It's so tempting, isn't it?  You find a great piece of music and want to arrange it for your instrument or ensemble. But can you do it legally?  It depends ...

The Music Publishers Association Code of Fair Practice, agreed between composers, publishers and users of printed music, is the place to check for questions like this.

These are two links you should save:-

• MPA Online Code of Fair Practice
• MPA FAQs

What should I do if I believe that someone may be infringing copyright?

The Music Publishers Association Code of Fair Practice, agreed between composers, publishers and users of printed music, gives you loads of information about what you can and can't do.


Knowledge is half the battle, so why not bookmark these links for future reference?

• MPA Online Code of Fair Practice
• MPA FAQs

How can I find the copyright owner for permission to use a piece of music?

Again, the answer can be found in the Music Publishers Association Code of Fair Practice.  A revised edition was published in 2012 and you can read it HERE.

• Music Publishers Association homepage - MPA Online
• FAQ pages

Can I Photocopy Printed Music?

The answer can be found in the Music Publishers Association Code of Fair Practice.  A revised edition was published in 2012 and you can read it HERE.

Other useful links:-

• Music Publishers Association homepage - MPA Online
• FAQ pages

Copyright, Photocopying, UK Music and Musicians

Colleagues in IAML (UK and Ireland) advise us that 'the Music Publishers’ Association has recently published a revised Code of Fair Practice, which is available on its website here: http://www.mpaonline.org.uk/content/code-fair-practice'

This summary comes from Claire Kidwell, the Chair of the IAML(UK and Ireland) Trade and Copyright Committee, with thanks:-

"The salient changes are as follows:

•The terms ‘copy’ and ‘copies’ have been clarified as meaning ‘any form of graphic reproduction of a printed music publication as well as the transcribing of music notation’ (see page 6)

•In consultation with the various music performance exam boards and the British & International Federation of Festivals, a permission has been added that enables copies to be made for adjudicators and performance examiners (provided the performer has legitimately obtained his/her copy) (see point 10, page 8)

•In consultation with the British Dyslexia Association, a permission has been added that enables a copy to be made by, or on behalf of, a person with dyslexia or any other type of reading impairment (provided the individual has legitimately obtained his/her copy) (see point 11, page 8)

These positive developments [...] have already been gratefully received by many librarians and library users."