TV Show DVDs and Music Licensing

[James28]

If one season of a certain TV show is released on DVD format, music licensing issues will almost certainly have to be dealt with. Music licensing issues can be trouble. The release of a season of a TV show will never get released, unless the copyrighted music is replaced by generic sound-alike music. Expiration of the license to use the music will mean no DVD release for the TV show. Any TV show with a "Real Song Theme Tune" will get replaced with a "Suspiciously Similar Song" if that show gets released on DVD.

Licensing issues are often encountered when television shows or films using copyrighted music are releaded in DVD format.

When a song is cleared for usage on a TV show, historically to save money the clearance typically only applies to television airings of the show in question. Thus, when the show is considered for DVD distribution to the home video market, the rights to the song must be renegotiated in order for the song in question to be included on the DVD. Most producers/production companies now include the rights for DVDs or "all media now known or hereafter devised". This assures production companies of the right to re-release without incurring additional licensing fees.

If the process of clearing the rights to the song is prohibitively expensive for the home video distributor, or if clearance is refused by the copyright holders of the original song, the affected song is usually replaced with a similar (sound-alike) one, or the footage containing the copyrighted song is edited out. In a few cases, television shows which make extensive use of copyrighted music such that the cost of "after-market" licensing is high are withheld from release on DVD (two notable examples are The Wonder Years and Cold Case). Home video release of a number of television series and films have also been delayed and occasionally cancelled for this reason; for example, Sony Entertainment cancelled the planned October 2007 DVD release[5] of Dark Skies for this reason but was eventually released on January 18, 2011 through Shout! Factory.

[qixpoet]

I have never understand the music rights for DVD for the TV seasons.

I don't think any movies have that kind of problem.

It's always about the TV seasons in DVD.

The Wonder Years is the prime suspect.

How come they must buy the music rights for the shows again since they already have the music rights in their original run on TV??

[loaferman]

Before VHS and way before DVD nobody thought to secure the rights for future use. Now I think it says all media present and future on current shows. The music unions are very greedy and will charge a small restaurant a fine for having a TV on with audible sound if he doesn't buy a license. I know a guy it happened to, he muted the Tv's then after they came back yet again still wanting money he ripped the Tv's off the walls. A songwriter and singer think if they ever have one hit, they are entitled to live the rest of their lives off a 3 minute song.

[Regulus]

I know this has a Snowball's chance in Hll of ever happening, but IMHO this Nations Copyright Laws need to be OVERHAULED. I'd like to see them returned to their original law, in which a Copyright lasted 16 years and could be renewed ONLY ONCE. If this were to happen I'm sure Hollywood would get off their behinds and start producing more original TV Shows and Movies. Also TV Shows and Movies like the 1966 Batman, Lassie and Song of the South would be Public Domain, which means those who sell copies on those "Trading Sites" would become legitimate, and the Government could collect Taxes from them.

[McGillicuddy]

Originally Posted by qixpoet

I have never understand the music rights for DVD for the TV seasons.

I don't think any movies have that kind of problem.

It's always about the TV seasons in DVD.

The Wonder Years is the prime suspect.

How come they must buy the music rights for the shows again since they already have the music rights in their original run on TV??

In the movie Vacation, The Pointer Sisters' song "I'm So Excited", was originally used as Christy Brinkley's car drove by The Griswolds' station wagon. The song was replaced before the movie was released on VHS.