Are you currently in the process of crafting your next marketing campaign? In this era of easy access to information and content, the significance of understanding copyright laws and acquiring the appropriate licensing cannot be overstated. It’s a crucial step for businesses to ensure their work is legally sound and to avoid any potential legal complications.
Understanding Copyright
So, what exactly is copyright? In simple terms, it’s a protective law that prevents you from using other people’s work without their permission. This includes a wide range of creative works such as music, videos, images, words, and even ideas. It’s like a digital fence that safeguards the rights of creators and prevents unauthorised use of their work.
Whether intentional or not, copyright infringement can lead to serious legal consequences such as hefty fines or even lawsuits. It’s crucial to be fully aware of the rules and regulations. Different licences are required for media coverage, office music, and advertising. While it might seem overwhelming to navigate these requirements, we can guide you in the right direction. While we aren’t licensing experts, we have extensive experience in adhering to marketing laws. Here are some of the basic licences that can help safeguard your business from copyright infringement.
Media Coverage – CLA & NLA
When you make use of PR services, it can be exciting to see your business mentioned in the media. But if you want to share it with others, you must ensure you have the right licence in place.
There are two main licences that are pivotal in protecting your business when it comes to media coverage. The Newspaper Licensing Authority licence (NLA) is an absolute necessity for businesses that wish to legally reproduce and distribute newspaper articles. This licence ensures that your organisation is fully compliant with copyright laws when sharing newspaper content for press monitoring, providing a secure legal framework for your actions.
The Copyright Licensing Agency licence (CLA) goes beyond newspapers. This government-regulated licence covers a wide range of content, such as books, magazines, and digital publications. You will also need one to share documents internally. A CLA licence can protect your business against copyright infringement while also protecting the rights of publishers.
We must stress that even with the right licences, there are still rules regarding what you can do with your media coverage. For example, if an article has been featured online, you can share the URL to your social media platforms. However, you cannot screenshot or copy the article in any way.
Broadcast
If you like to listen to music in the office (which we definitely do), you must pay for a music licence.
The first licence you will need pays the performers and their record companies for using their music. This is done through the PPL (Phonographic Performance Limited) and is known as a PPL licence. The other licence is a PRS Licence, collected by the PRS (the Performing Rights Society) and pays the songwriters and composers.
PPL and PRS licences can be bought separately, but they also work together to create a combined licence called TheMusicLicence. This will permit you to listen to the radio at work and even covers the hold music on your phone system.
The same goes for switching on a TV in your office—you need a licence. A TV licence lets you enjoy a wide range of live TV across any device on your premises. It will also cover any staff, customers, or visitors to your office. If you wish to play music using your TV, you will need both a TV licence and a TheMusicLicence. Your TV licence only allows you to receive the broadcast signal, while your TheMusicLicence will enable you to play the music publicly.
Advertising
When it comes to advertising, hopefully you already know you can’t just use any image from Google in your ads—you’ll need to have appropriate image and video licensing in order to use them. Stock websites, such as iStock, offer a wide selection of photos and videos with licensing for commercial use.
The same goes for adding music to your ads. To use commercially released music in your adverts, whether on TV, radio, or online platforms such as social media, you’ll need performance licences from music publishers. A Sync licence, obtained from the Mechanical Copyright Protection Society (MCPS), can do this. You can find out more about this licence here.
Essentially, navigating copyright laws and licensing is a priority for businesses in order to respect the rights of other creators, avoid copyright infringement and remain legally compliant. Remember, if you didn’t make it – you don’t own it!
