++++ HW: Covers All Final Call

[Doug Pearson]

On Wed, 12 Feb 2003 07:50:15 EDT, Ted Jackson <tojackso at LIBRARY.SYR.EDU>
wrote:
>But if you cover HW tunes, you'd need the writers' permission to use them.

There are only two conditions (at least under US copyright law) under which
you need to get the writers' permission to cover a song:

1) No recording of the song has yet been released (for example, the Byrds'
version of "Mr. Tambourine Man").
2) The lyrics are significantly changed in a manner not under first
ammendment protection (the best example of this was 2 Live Crew's cover
of "Pretty Woman"; Roy Orbison's widow sued them for not getting permission
to use X-rated, offensive lyrics with the song; the rappers won the case
because their version was ruled to be a constitutionally-protected *parody*
of the original "chaste" lyrics).

    -Doug
     jasret at mindspring.com