What is meant by copyright?

Copyright is an exclusive intellectual property right given to the creators of original musical, literary and dramatic works. Broadly, copyright protects by law any asset or legal interest. And it provides the copyright owner the legal right to copy the work in any form, be it digital, print or recorded material.

What are copyright laws intended to protect?

While generally an accepted principle of law, copyright laws vary in different countries. However, in many countries copyright is defined by two primary rights: Economic and Moral.

Economic allows the creator to charge anyone who wishes to copy, perform, or record their work for any commercial or non-commercial use.

Moral allows the creator to protect their work from any change which might be considered offensive or not in keeping with their wishes.

Given the relationships CCLI has with our creative partners and the products and services we provide to our customers, these economic and moral rights are aligned closely with our own core philosophies, as well.

Why does copyright affect you?

Churches and Christian organisations increasingly use technology to create, distribute or display songs, service sheets and content. Copyright owners should be fairly compensated for the copying of their works.

Regardless of region or whether it is an economic, moral, philosophical, or simply administrative objective, CCLI helps you honour copyright law and the creative people who author these valuable works.