My recent explorations into copyright and use of recorded material has made my head spin. But I didn’t get actually nauseous until I got this note in my email regarding this summer’s upcoming International Jugglers Association convention and competition:
IJA Festival competitors please note:
*No* copyrighted music can be used in the Championships or Individual Prop Competition unless you provide written proof that you have obtained both *performance* and *synchronization* rights from the copyright owner(s) to use the recording in IJA competitions *and* videos. See the related article on page 5 of this e-newsletter.
Hold it. The artist has to clear the rights for musical rights not just for performance (which makes sense, it’s their work of art and that’s part of their responsibility, like it or not) but also synch…so that that the IJA can profit from that performance? And the juggler is expected to foot that bill?
Bullshit. The juggler is creating the performance, and the IJA is creating the video. Artist should pay perf, IJA should pay synch, unless the juggler is also going to get direct profits from the video, which they’re not. Let’s talk responsibility.