Copyright WAR!

[andrewducker]

[Poll #1832597]

The first option, of course, makes it harder for people to earn a living from writing, music, television, etc. There's definitely a tradeoff here. If everyone torrents the next season of #Your Favourite TV Show# then there won't be a next one unless Kickstarter _really_ takes off.

Note: Voting for the third option without offering a solution which is technically feasible in the comments will merely cause giggling.

Comments

[octopoid-horror.livejournal.com]

What's the legality of staging a play? I'm genuinely curious all of a sudden.

If I buy a copy of the script for Death and The Maiden, say - am I able to freely stage this with a couple of friends for an audience? Does it become copyright infringement if we charge the audience, or is it still infringement if we put it on for free in the street?

[danieldwilliam.livejournal.com]

For plays that are in copyright you need to have permission from the rights holder.

There may well be a fee for this.

There may well be restrictions on how you stage the production (typically no ad libbing or gender swapping - awkward for amatuer companies).

Typical performance fees that my amateur group pay are £400. Maybe £200.

Our last show sold about 400 tickets at a £10 each. Those were really good sales. So 10% plus of out ticket sales go on rights.

[octopoid-horror.livejournal.com]

Wow, it's as if they don't want plays to be staged!

[danieldwilliam.livejournal.com]

It can appear that way but at £400 for a 1 week run they make as much money as 10 productions at £40 each.

My limited experience is that the fee doesn't put off productions. Rather, we decide if we're doing rights free or rights on. Once we've decided to pay for rights we don't pick one play to produce because it is cheaper.

I guess there is a limited supply of amateur productions & £400 is the clearing price.

I imagine if you are Alan Aykebourne et al it's no skin off your nose artistically is the Republican Players of Bogner Regis stage your play half in the dark, with a lead who keeps slipping into a Mamcuniam accent & a director who doesn't get the jokes.

The off-putting thing is restrictions on gender swapping or being able to cut lines for time. That constrains our ability to stage stuff.

The financial hurdle, especially in Edinburgh, especially during the festival is theatre hire & risk sharing.