How does music licensing works in Australia and how does APRA set the law on licensing? To what boundaries you can play someone else’s music to perform it live?
Please focus your research on the followings:
– Set out the basic copyright law right that performing music is an exclusive right of the copyright owner (initially the composer, in most cases).
– Explain how that default situation is modified by contract when a composer joins APRA (i.e. the assignment to APRA of the member’s performance and communication copyright).
– Explain the benefits (or cons, if you like) of the collective administration system that APRA’s part of.
– Explain how APRA’s deals with its affiliates allow APRA to license an Australian venue to permit the performance of a Bruno Mars song, even if he’s not a member of APRA.
– Explain how APRA is informed what songs were played.
– Explain any limits to what the APRA licence can allow: for example, would it be of any concern to APRA if your version of the song was obscene? A parody? Just really, really bad? Is anyone allowed to record the performance? If so, what can they legally do with the recording?