Service Leaders' Copyright Guide
It is essential to abide by the following copyright rules when leading, streaming or recording any service held in Goring United Reformed Church. It is against the copyright laws not to do so, and could result in fines if not closely followed.
Introduction
The process of recording or streaming worship services online involves making a copy of the entire contents of the service and therefore all material used in the service is subject to copyright law, even material that is only spoken.
Resources that might be used in a church service include but are not limited to:
The Christian Copyright Licensing International (CCLI) Church Copyright Licence only covers the words of certain songs and hymns.
Words of Hymns & Songs
This Church, Goring URC, holds licences from CCLI, which allow it to include most, but not all, songs and hymns in its services, subject to certain terms and conditions. We are only allowed to have songs and hymns that are included in the CCLI license scheme. Other licence schemes are available but there is no one scheme that covers all songs and hymns, however, CCLI does cover the majority. Therefore, every song/hymn must be checked prior to the service.
It is always a good idea to ring 01903 260568 before finalising your Order of service. The song/hymn can be checked whilst on the phone, If it isn’t in the CCLI database, we will not able to use it; with the exception of these special licences.
Bible extracts
Extracts from the Bible are not covered by CCLI, however most translations do allow a certain amount of the text to be reproduced freely, subject to certain terms and conditions. Each publisher has their own terms of use but broadly, the translations mentioned below allow an extract to be freely reproduced, as long as:
- the extract is used only in nonsaleable media
- the name of the translation appears at the end of the extract
- the extract it is not a whole chapter
- the extract is less than 500 verses
- the extract makes up no more than a quarter of the content of the service.
Translations that express the above or similar terms:
NIV - New International Version (all versions)
NLT - New Living Translation
GNB - The Good News Bible
MSG - The Message
RSV - Revised Standard Version
ESV - English Standard Version
ESVUK - English Standard Version Anglicised
If someone wishes to use a translation not listed, please contact us first, no less than a week in advance of the service.
Images
Images are perfect for illustrating a point and bringing that all important visual aid to a talk. Before using an image, we have to be sure that permission has been given for it to be used in the way we are intending to use it.
There are a number of websites that offer copyright free images where the photographer or creator has granted a free licence under certain conditions. e.g. the image can be used only for non-commercial purposes as long as the photographer is credited. An example website that provides ‘copyright free’ images is pexels.com.
Please do not simply copy images from websites or from search results. Just because an image is online, doesn’t mean that it is copyright free. If there is no copyright information about an image, you should assume it is copyright and you should not use it. This applies to live streaming, recording or solely displaying on the church screens.
If you would like to use any images in the service, please contact us, no less than a week in advance of the service with details of the images and where you have taken them from.
Other Publications
Any content we want to use from publications such as prayer compilations or service books should also be checked that the church has permission to use it. It makes no difference if the content is displayed on the screen or not. We still need permission, even if the words are only spoken.
Information about copyright is usually found on the back of the title page of any publication and it should state how the material can be used and to what extent.
If there is no copyright information or it is unclear for the publication you would like to use, please contact us first, no less than a week in advance of the service.
Recorded music and video
Our current streaming licence package does not allow us to use any artist-recorded music or video in services that are being recorded or streamed.
Music played by the organist or other musicians
For services that are recorded or streamed, the organist can only play music that is in the public domain or hymns and songs included in the CCLI database. Public domain is where the contributing authors (composers, editors, arrangers etc.) have been dead for 70 years or more.
- and lastly do you have any questions or queries
If there is anything you need clarification on, please telephone 07752 301448 or email us and we will be pleased to help.
Additional notes for Goring URC Personnel
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Hymns and Songs:
Reporting: Every song or hymn must be checked before streaming the service. If a song or hymn isn’t listed on the CCLI database, we will not be able to use it, subject to the note special licenses held.
It is the responsibility of the A/V team to report the hymns & songs used and to make sure they are entered onto the CCLI database. -
Credits: To make sure the correct text is displayed at the end of every hymn or song, please refer to the CCLI format.
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Bible Readings: The translation version must be stated at the end of the passage displayed on the screen.