Are you stealing (part 3 of 3)?

We Christians have a bad reputation out there when it comes to copyright violations. We have, for years, photocopied choral music and stolen corporate logos for our youth group T-shirts. I say its time to be “above reproach.”

Much, if not all, of the music we sing in church is copyright protected, and there are some legal and ethical issues you must adhere to. This is discussion 3 of 3:

We have briefly discussed copyright issues with song lyrics and performance duplications, but what other elements used in our worship service are copyright protected?

Bible Translations:

KJV and ASV are public domain, but all other translations are copyrighted.  While each is different, most want to be generous in the allowances.  BUT there are restrictions if you want to duplicate scripture or record someone reading from a specific translation.

Movies and / or Television Broadcasts:

CCLE has a video licensing division (CVLI) that offers some licenses, but it isn’t very complete.  The NFL, for example, can be super protective of their broadcasts and logos (especially around that Super Big Game in February).

Mini Movies and Sermon Clips:

Just because you paid $8 to download an illustration video clip from a source like ShiftWorship.com doesn’t mean you own it. That’s just the right to show it in your service.  If you are recording or streaming your service, such a clip can’t be included on the feed.