Rights dilemma

Hi IÂ’m just wondering how strict Hal Leonard is on rights, as we are doing a play early next year and are applying for the rights from them, and we want to make a few changes such as adding another musical number and changing the ending slightly, if any one has any info, as IÂ’m kinda new at this, it would be a great help thanks,
Sam.

They are VERY strict - you need to run anything like that past them.

Sorry - that's a blunt answer - but a truthful one. Carole

Hi!

Technically speaking, the contract HL issues you will usually say you cannot amend the script in anyway whatsoever. You could raise the possibility with them, but I doubt you'd have much joy.
So if you went ahead and diddled with the script anyway and HL were to somehow find out about your alterations, they are well within their rights to take some form of action on behalf of the writer.

Hope that helps.

this posting actually is an excellent reminder to all companies, especially schools that obtaining the rights to a show is not an option or even something that needs to be discussed. It is a must.

Once those rights have been obtained you simply cannot change what you want , songs, characters, plot, music , just because you think it would be better. If you apply to do a show, then that is the show that you do.

I once heard someone say "oh this show is boring, so I rewrote it" . As appalling as that statement is, what was worse was that they had obtained copyright for the show and had invited the playwrite to the show. The arrogance ( and stupidity) of some people!

q

How does this go for amending scripts with previous versions of the show... I know in Musicals particularly shows ore often altered quite substantialy and rewritten with songs added etc.

Are they more likely to agree to, for instace, including a song that has been recently be written out?

HI

I hope this may help. It is an extract from a fabulous piece on copyright that should be made compulsory reading for everyone wishing to "tinker" or indeed completely change whole sections of plays or musicals.


"The licensing agreement with the licensing agency will almost certainly contain language regarding making no changes in the script and/or music as provided without first obtaining written permission. Here’s a typical example of how an agreement might read: “The granting of this license to you to perform the play is not to be construed as a right to . . . [make] changes of any kind . . . in the play including but not limited to the deletion or interpolation of new music, lyrics or dialogue or change in the period, characters or characterizations in the presently existing play. . . . . Any violation hereof will be deemed a willful infringement of the copyright of the author(s) and shall automatically terminate this license.”



Changes requiring written authorization range from simply “cleaning up the language” to changing the gender of either roles in the play or the actors assigned to play those roles. This is especially important to consider if the script requires any adaptation to conform to community standards of acceptable language or behavior. If the changes required by the community are not allowed by the copyright holder, the producer’s only option is to select another play. It does not matter if “they did it that way in the movie.” The movie producer paid a substantial amount of money for the film rights, which usually do include the right to make any necessary changes.

Even what was done in recent major revivals cannot be used to justify an unauthorized departure from the script as provided by the licensing agency. Remember that such productions involve not only, again, a substantial amount of money, but also the active participation of the copyright holder(s) or their representatives. Nothing is done without their consent. The fact that such changes have not been authorized for release to the licensing agency may mean that the persons with the authority to permit have had second thoughts after seeing the changed script onstage.

The making of musical arrangements of copyright works, changing the melody or words, or adding new words, and choreography, all arguably constitute an adaptation and as such should be strenuously avoided. "

Worth reading by everyone I think. A recent example I can remember was a community production of a play that changed the gender of nearly everyone in the show, their ages and their attitudes. When asked if they had approval to do this, the director said "of course, we have the rights".

q

I asked Hal Leonard (when we did Les Mis this year in Pinjarra) - once we had obtained the rights - if we could possibly use the full version of Little People in our production as it used to be back in the 1980's, and also if we could use the Cossette song from the same period entitled "I Saw Him Once". I actually preferred that version of the show........but these songs were not in the version that we were sent.

Permission was denied. She said the authors/producers were quite definite that the current production provided was how it had to be performed.

I guess there's never any harm in asking but be prepared for a 'no'.

Carole

thanks heaps guys for your replys it clears a lot up for us