Copyright Help Needed For A New Music Teacher

[dm7rjf1]

Hi Everybody,

 

I have recently taken up teaching guitar in my spare time. I have purchased a beginners song book containing lyrics and chords only and put together a CD of around 100 songs from my collection to match the song book.

 

I would like to give my students a copy of the CD and photocopies from the song book as we progress through the beginners course. However I am not sure if I am breaking any copyright laws in doing this. Does anybody on here know whether I would or wouldn't be?

 

How about if I allow the Student to borrow a copy of the CD which I have made from myself, and then I ask for this to be returned once they finish the course? I could also do this for the song sheets.

 

Any help anyone could give me on this would be appreciated.

 

Many thanks,

Rich the new guitar teacher!

[john]

Simply put, yes, you would almost certainly be breaching copyright:

 

definitely if you are copying tracks and distributing them. In that case you would be breaching the mechanical copyright of the recording

 

In the case of the chords and lyrics, technically that is breaching copyright of the publisher, however most allow what is known as "fair use" which educational use is usually considered. So it's a technical breach but one that generally they allow teachers to use material for teaching purposes.

 

In terms of lending the original CDs etc that is perfectly allowed. Technically making copies of tracks in any form is a breach, even when making mix cds of tracks you like for your own enjoyment.

 

If you can be bothered looking for the official versions on official band channels on YouTube and then just provide a bunch of links in an email. Just a thought.