Copyright and Licensing Information

The Copyright Act of 1976 prohibits the unauthorized reproduction of copyrighted materials, including song sheets, overhead transparencies, bulletin inserts, and slides. Churches are not exempt from this law. Permission to use some copyrighted material may be secured from organizations that have received licensing rights from various music publishers. Congregations who subscribe to these services receive the right to print local songbooks, songsheets, bulletins, transparencies, and slides compiled for congregational use from a variety of (but not all) publishers. Fees are reasonable and are based on average worship attendance. Some bookkeeping is required.

Church Copyright Licensing, Inc. (CCLI)
17201 NE Sacramento Street
Portland, OR 97230
1 (800) 234-2446
[email protected]

http://www.ccli.com

The largest selection of publishers; includes all UM publishing groups, Word, Hope, Maranatha!, Integrity Hosanna, and others; most praise choruses are included in this group.

LicenSing
Logos Productions Inc.
6160 Carmen Avenue
Inver Grove Heights, MN USA 55076
Phone: 800-328-0200
Fax: 888-852-5524
Web: http://logosproductions.com
Email: [email protected]
A smaller list of publishers, but designed more for mainline, liturgical congregations; includes all United Methodist publishing groups; more international companies; a good bit of overlap with Church Copyright Licensing, Inc.

Similar copyright restrictions apply to video formats of films. The opening words of commercial videos indicate that the tape is intended for "home use only." Legally, this excludes use in churches, either for worship or for viewing by a group in the church, such as a youth fellowship. As with the music licensing companies, you may purchase a license that will legally allow you to show videos of popular films in your church. The license will allow you to show a video in its entirety, or scenes from a video, but you may not edit it in any way. Modest fees are based on the anticipated viewing audience.

Motion Picture Licensing Corporation
Harold Bower
58 Jeremiah Road
Sandy Hook, Connecticut 06482
1 (800) 515-8855