Those rights are assigned automatically upon creation of the function. For the sound recordist and designer, these rights are vital in order to give control over any sound recordings produced and how they can be used. It is fair to say they are the lifeblood of our work.

Copyright need to be respected and considered at all times when recording sound effects. It’s effortless to overlook probable copyright infringements when out in the busy world recording. We are bombarded with recorded sound on a daily basis and it has become an ingrained component of our lives. From advertising and television and radio programmes to toys and ringtones, copyright material is everywhere and it is very effortless to accidentally capture sound under copyright in a sound impact recording. If you do, it renders that sound effect unusable with the possibility of severe legal action becoming taken against you.

So just how easy is it to accidentally capture copyright material in a sound effect recording? The brief answer is quite effortless. On numerous occasions I have been in the studio editing down recordings I have just made and realised I captured a ringtone of a passing person’s phone or music being played in a passing car. It might sound insignificant, but those ringtones or that music is under copyright and it’s illegal to record or distribute copyrighted function with out permission from the copyright owner.

I have compiled a list of just some of the copyrighted sounds we hear frequently and could accidentally capture when recording sound effects:

1. Music – music is everywhere: on the radio tv stereo program background music in shops restaurants and bars laptop or computer games toys gadgets sporting events and far more.

2. Ringtones – most modern day cell phones have a range of recorded ringtones offered and several are under copyright. Even that old sound of a ‘Bell’ telephone is probably a recording and under copyright.

3. Toys and Games – electronic toys and games often use brief audio recordings. From an action figure’s spoken catchphrase to the buzzer on a board game, they are almost certainly under copyright.

4. Computer Games – It is almost a certainty that the audio in any personal computer game is under copyright, which includes amusement arcade games.

5. Software – All those interface beeps, button clicks, musical signatures and so on. are all likely to be under copyright.

6. Recorded Announcements – These can be some of the easiest copyright infringements to make. Recorded announcements can be heard in: train stations airports bus/coach terminals sporting events trains aircraft busses ferries elevators shops and many far more locations.

Copyright Assignment