Re: Rights to music at sports events

Laura N. Gasaway <unclng[_at_]email.unc.edu> wrote:
>
> On Tue, 29 Apr 1997 Bill Thayer <petworth[_at_]suba.com> wrote:
> >
> > Speaking from my experience as a figure skater, we use uncleared music
> > all the time, at least up to Sectionals. I don't know about National
> > championship level. I have never heard of anyone (other than me)
> > either thinking of the copyright question, nor of any copyright owner
> > coming to a skater etc.
> >
> > Doesn't mean it's right, of course.
> >
> > Interestingly, the skating "program" is
> >
> > (a) extremely reliant on the music, to the point that when a tape
> > breaks, the skater will usually stop (with a signal exception at a
> > World Championship, where it happened to the team that won -- a
> > memorable skate)
> >
> > (b) definitely a derivative work. BTW, it is considered very bad form,
> > but not illegal, among skaters to crib someone else's music or program;
> > and people have twice asked me if they could use a move I invented. (I
> > said yes.)
>
> I wonder if the ice skating arenas have an ASCAP and BMI
> license. They well might.

I am a former ASCAP General Licensing Ececutive who is now a National Sales Account Executive with SESAC. You all should update your records to include SESAC when you mention the other PROs in your postings.

Yes, ASCAP does offer blanket licenses to Ice Skating Rinks as does SESAC and I'm sure BMI does also. Information on licensing can be found at the various web sites each organization maintains, http://sesac.com/ for example.

If you need more information about SESAC please feel free to contact me directly at rpauley[_at_]primary.net.

Sincerely,
Bob Pauley
National Sales Account Executive
SESAC
<rpauley[_at_]primary.net> Received on Fri May 02 1997 - 15:44:35 GMT