ABSTRACT
Copyrights play a critical role in the music business and an important role in the overall economy of the United States. The “copyright industries” (theatrical films, TV programs, home video, DVDs, business software, entertainment software, books, music and sound recordings) account for over 6 percent of the total US gross domestic product (gdp), employ nearly 5 million workers, and comprise one of the nation’s largest exports. This chapter and the next two chapters, though not intended to be a complete summary of copyright law, do address the basics of copyright law as they apply to the music business and a number of specific copyright law provisions and issues of great importance to the music business.
