Best copyright type for self-published work

[pateceramics]

Hi folks,

I've just finished composing a choral piece that uses a quote from a book that is still in copyright as one section of the lyrics. I've filled out the proper form to request permission to use the quotation from Oxford University Press, who own the copyright to the book in question, and now they have replied asking what copyright license I plan to use for my finished score.

I generally use a personal copyright, in this case it would read: "Copyright © 2023 Maggie Furtak. Permission granted by the composer to freely copy, distribute, perform, or record this work," and I would insert any information about the text source in the format that Oxford desired.

But... now that they are specifically asking about my planned license, I wonder if it would increase my chances of having my request approved if I used something more standard and official, like the CPDL license.

Does anyone else have experience dealing with book publishers or Oxford University Press in particular, and have any insight that might be helpful?

I can always explain to them exactly as I have said here, but I assume I'm dealing with a harried desk worker, and suggesting something that fits their ideas of professionalism on the first try may help my case, since the decision of whether or not to allow me to use the quote and whether/how much to charge me for the privilege may be a bit of a subjective decision.

Thoughts?
-Maggie Furtak

[choralia]

I guess that they want to know what kind of license you plan to use because they want to evaluate the price of the license to you.

I wonder if it would increase my chances of having my request approved if I used something more standard and official, like the CPDL license.

Yes, definitely, and I think that one of the Creative Commons licenses would be best.

Does anyone else have experience dealing with book publishers or Oxford University Press in particular, and have any insight that might be helpful?

Long time ago I had a somehow similar experience with a sheet music publisher. For some materials that I intended to provide for free over the internet under a personal copyright policy they wanted me to pay a copyright fee of 40 Euros (approximately US$ 44). At that time I paid, however I wouldn't probably pay now, as some copyright exemptions are probably applicable in my specific case.

Max

[Cdalitz]

If your work is based in parts (e.g. the text) on a copyrighted third party work that is not subject to a free license, it is unlikely that the copyright holder will agree to a "more formal" free license like, e.g., CC-BY or CC-BY-SA. Such licenses would allow for free redistribution and for further arrangements or other derivations, about which the original copyright holder most likely will decide individually in each case.

Your solution of permitting free usage to anyone with possible restrictions as required by the copyright holder seems to be the most practical way. I would additionally ask whether would permit free redistribution of the unaltered sheet music.

Incidentally, I had met the same situation for a composition based on a bible verse in a non-free translation (the modern "official" German translation), and they sent me the restriction that I had to add to the license: http://music.dalitio.de/choir/dalitz/go ... flehen.pdf (see the comment at the bottom). This restriction prevented me, however, from posting the piece on CPDL, and I therefore made my own English text underlay. Moreover, as I had not received permissions for setting another bible texts (Magnificat) to music, I had evetually solved the problem once and for all by purchasing an extant bible from the 19. century in a translation in modern German, on which I now rely for German bible texts.

[pateceramics]

Yes, I've had another reply from the folks in the licensing department that confirms that they would not approve a CPDL license, since it allows for open access, and would only allow the content to be used on restricted access sites. Sigh...