Copyright Material (sp?)

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Jan 2, 2012
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Hello,

I was wondering if anyone had any useful info on getting material and copyrighted. I make my own routines for the team I coach during football season. I dont have my own business or anything. I have been made aware that the coach for basketball season is using my routine .. ? she doesn't have the music because it is in my possession and I dont plan on letting her use it! ... any ideas ?
 
Hello,

I was wondering if anyone had any useful info on getting material and copyrighted. I make my own routines for the team I coach during football season. I dont have my own business or anything. I have been made aware that the coach for basketball season is using my routine .. ? she doesn't have the music because it is in my possession and I dont plan on letting her use it! ... any ideas ?

(Disclaimer - I'm not a lawyer but I've always been interested in copyright issues. Because I'm a big nerd.)

First, material (that is able to be copyrighted) has a copyright when it is created. You don't have to register it or anything for it to have a copyright.

Second - are you both employed by the same employer? Was your routine choreographed as part of your employment while you were a coach during football season? If so, then the copyright for the work likely belongs to your employer, not you.

But more importantly... really? I'm assuming this is a school team, as not many other organizations cheer for football and basketball. Is the team essentially made up of the same members as in football season? If so, it is really not unusual to keep a routine for the whole year. Why does it matter if the same kids are performing the same routine? What would you seek to gain from registering your copyright (if, in fact, the copyright belongs to you and not your employer)? Preventing a school team from performing a routine that they're familiar with... for what reason?
 
This is an amateur coaching question regarding copyright infringement as well... I will be coaching for the first time next season and am curious as to how copyright laws work with cheerleading music. My situation is different... there are parts of other teams music that I absolutely LOVE and would want to use certain sections in the routine. I will be coaching high school cheerleading and the music I like from other routines is from all star cheerleading. I know any song can be used, as in just because SongX is in another team's routine, I know the song itself does not belong to them, it actually belongs to the artist... But is it illegal to DIRECTLY use a section of music from another routine (as in if it includes their sound effects, etc. that they paid to incorporate?) Just trying to be proactive here!
 
This is an amateur coaching question regarding copyright infringement as well... I will be coaching for the first time next season and am curious as to how copyright laws work with cheerleading music. My situation is different... there are parts of other teams music that I absolutely LOVE and would want to use certain sections in the routine. I will be coaching high school cheerleading and the music I like from other routines is from all star cheerleading. I know any song can be used, as in just because SongX is in another team's routine, I know the song itself does not belong to them, it actually belongs to the artist... But is it illegal to DIRECTLY use a section of music from another routine (as in if it includes their sound effects, etc. that they paid to incorporate?) Just trying to be proactive here!
I don't think so as I've seen videos of high school, college and even allstar teams using other allstar teams music. It's generally frowned upon if you copy huge chunks though (especially if the voice overs don't match your team e.g. if your teams mascot is the wildcats and you have a voiceover that clearly says Top Gun, Cheer Extreme, etc) and you use the choreography that went with it originally in the allstar teams routine.
 
I don't think so as I've seen videos of high school, college and even allstar teams using other allstar teams music. It's generally frowned upon if you copy huge chunks though (especially if the voice overs don't match your team e.g. if your teams mascot is the wildcats and you have a voiceover that clearly says Top Gun, Cheer Extreme, etc) and you use the choreography that went with it originally in the allstar teams routine.
Right, and that's not my intention with it.. just a few short "clips" that I like. Thanks for your help!
 
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