Copyright is a legal concept which allows the person or organisation who created the work to have all of the rights to its use and distribution. This is normally just for a set period of time, and aims to allow the creator of the content the right to get compensation for their work and gain financially from the distribution of it. Copyright is a form of intellectual property, which includes trademarks and patents.
Youtube
Youtube cannot stop a copyrighted video from being uploaded, however if it receives a complaint from the owner of the copyright it has the right to remove the video from Youtube. This helps to stop illegal copies of songs from being on the website, and means that the creator of the song or video will be the one to benefit financially from its views and sales. There are many websites and downloads available which allow you to download songs from music videos on Youtube, however in the terms and conditions of the website it states that -
"- You agree not to access Content through any technology or means other than the video playback pages of the Service itself, the Embeddable Player, or other explicitly authorized means YouTube may designate.
- You shall not download any Content unless you see a “download” or similar link displayed by YouTube on the Service for that Content. You shall not copy, reproduce, make available online or electronically transmit, publish, adapt, distribute, transmit, broadcast, display, sell, license, or otherwise exploit any Content for any other purposes without the prior written consent of YouTube or the respective licensors of the Content."
This means most Youtube videos cannot be legally downloaded and used. The only exception to this is if the video has been uploaded under the Creative Commons (with attribution) licence. Youtube allows video uploaders the option to allow other users to use their content however they would like using the Creative Commons licence, provided they provide a link back to the source, as opposed to the standard Youtube licence mentioned above. This means that some of the content on Youtube may be available for us to use in our film opening.
Itunes/Apple
Music from iTunes is subject to copyright and it is illegal to use any song bought on there, other than for personal use, without permission from those with the rights to the track (usually the record company or artist). However, the music, jingles and sound effects that come with iMovie are allowed to be used royalty free. Music created in garage band is also copyright free and therefore we would be able to create sounds and music there and then use them in our film.
Royalty free music
Some websites provide royalty free music. Some are free, and others you have to pay for. This could be a good option, although the range of music can be quite limited. Some websites which offer this are -
Copyrighted
-iTunes music
-Normal Youtube videos
Not copyrighted
-iMovie sounds
-Garage band
-Youtube videos with Creative Commons licence
-Royalty free music download websites