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We, (the bass bandits) have just done a cover of WFTSC but wondered whether it is legal to upload onto the internet.
Any advice would be welcome, I would love to hear comments on it, but until I'm sure I won't have NO suing me, (more likely warners!) I'd best keep it to myself.
Jed Stephens wrote: We, (the bass bandits) have just done a cover of WFTSC but wondered whether it is legal to upload onto the internet.
Any advice would be welcome, I would love to hear comments on it, but until I'm sure I won't have NO suing me, (more likely warners!) I'd best keep it to myself.
As far as I know, it's only illegal to upload the track without their permission if it was for money. Like a payed download. Otherwise, it's fine.
You might want to ask anyway, like try emailing them. Ofcourse finding out the email might be difficult.
Yeah, in the past I would have thought it's only illegal if you're charging, but I'm not so sure. After all, nobody used to charge for Napster and the record companies sued and got that changed. Also, during sporting events here in the states, at some point in the broadcast they make an announcement that the game is the property of whatever league it is, and dissemination without express written consent is strictly prohibited. So, I guess I'd err on the side of caution. Good luck getting their email adress though!
Go for it.
The legality is questionable, but a cover version ranks way down on the lawyers' list of priorities (as long as P2P file sharing is alive and well). The worst that would happen is a "cease and desist" email arrives in your inbox, and if you generate enough attention to garner that, you're one lucky band.
Bands play covers all the time in the clubs, and the club might even pay "protection" to BMI or ASCAP for a blanket license over the whole establishment.
There's a whole subculture of mash-ups that use the actual copyrighted recordings, and the recording industry has actually warmed up to them and even officially releases the good ones.
In short, if you're not costing them money, they don't care. You have my personal Gnu Odor guarantee that nothing bad will happen to you. Upload that sucker, 'cause I want to hear it.
Addendum: all that said, I can't guarantee MySpace won't kick you off if you post it there. If you don't have webspace, send it to me and I'll post it.
P.S. I had to look up "chav," and I'm really sorry we've apparently exported that "lifestyle" to the UK.
You actually need to pay licensing for each download of your song... and that's not only if you make people pay for it.
Any artist performing cover "live" usually have to pay royalities as well, so does every radio station playing it.
But honestly, it's a pretty big grey area, so you're on your own, we do it here, I have plenty of covers free to download on NewOrderOnline with approval of the authors of those songs, and yet nobody complained in 5 years.
If you want, we can put it online here.
But be aware it's not legal, though nobody will ever do anything about it unless you make money out of it. They could, but it would look stupid doesn't it? band suing a band paying tribute to them and not even making money out of it? ;) Seems like something Oasis would do though 
