Do Movie Scores Become Public Domain?

[D'Snowth]

I got to thinking, because the likes of Danny Elfman and Alan Silvestri were mentioned in another thread, and I know both of their work have been used outside of their respective movies.

For example, I hear Elfman's Pee-Wee score from time to time in various other things, mostly on TV and such for music montages and even commercials, meanwhile I remember when the first Harry Potter movie came out, the score from the movie Mousehunt (which Silvestri scored) was used for trailers and such.

So, is there like a legal thing that makes movie scores become part of the public domain or something?

 

[mr3urious]

The film's soundtrack is usually the last to be finished, so they use music from somewhere else for the trailers, as TV Tropes can tell you.

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/RecycledTrailerMusic

I assume the scores are still under copyright, though.

 

[Drtooth]

They will be in the very very very long run. Our grand-kids will die of old age before that happens, though.

But yeah, it's easier to just buy a score that was already produced, and often it's one that captures the tone of the movie, if not the trailer.

 

[minor muppetz]

I'm wondering the same thing about video game music. I don't own any of the Angry Video Game Nerd DVDs, but I know that wheenever clips from movies are shown (which thankfully isn't often), they are cut from the releases, but as far as I know everything else is included (I was surprised that there doesn't seem to be any legal difficulties regarding use of video game footage). But the videos heavily feature the music from the games, and I've heard nothing about music being cut.

And even if there's no issues regarding video game music, some of the games reviewed include music from the movies or TV shows they are based on. I would think those would require legal clearances.

 

[Drtooth]

I'm wondering the same thing about video game music. I don't own any of the Angry Video Game Nerd DVDs, but I know that wheenever clips from movies are shown (which thankfully isn't often), they are cut from the releases, but as far as I know everything else is included (I was surprised that there doesn't seem to be any legal difficulties regarding use of video game footage). But the videos heavily feature the music from the games, and I've heard nothing about music being cut.

And even if there's no issues regarding video game music, some of the games reviewed include music from the movies or TV shows they are based on. I would think those would require legal clearances.

There are rights... no one (thankfully) has gone after them yet. There are a LOT of cover bands that sell "bootlegged" CD's of their own stuff. So far, it's ruled like fan art. If you don't get caught, and they rarely are looking, there's no problem. I dunno if things are different in Japan (where most video games hail from), as they actually have a history of releasing the full score of a video game, even in 8-bit, as albums.

Now, I wonder about sound effects because I have seen a LOT of cartoons use actual video game sound effects over the years... mostly from Super Mario games (usually the first) or Atari versions of Pac-Man and Donkey Kong... of course, I'm sure the latter doesn't even count.

Other than that, the only things I've ever seen use video game music are all on the internet... I'm sure with old shows that use video game footage like Gamepro and Video Power , the companies themselves made a deal to have them air as advertisements... I dunno... what's the deal with movie review shows? They definitely have to credit the movies at the end. I know they do.

 

[D'Snowth]

Wait... AVGN has DVDs? Aww... when's Doug gonna release his stuff on DVD?

 

[minor muppetz]

Wait... AVGN has DVDs? Aww... when's Doug gonna release his stuff on DVD?

I know that there is a "Best of That Guy with the Glasses" DVD (maybe even two) at the Thatguywiththeglasses.com store. I think that includes a DVD-exclusive Nostalgia Critic (can't remember what's reviewed, but it probably either doesn't have clips or is public domain), but is mostly Doug Walker's other stuff (including Bum Reviews and Ask That Guy). There are also DVDs of the second and third anniversary specials (actually I think the third anniversary special has yet to be released but is getting a release soon).

what's the deal with movie review shows? They definitely have to credit the movies at the end. I know they do.

Considering there's a "Best of That Guy with the Glasses" DVD that does not include any Nostalgia Critic episodes, I'd say it's a safe bet movie clips would need to be negotiated for a DVD release. The Nostalgia Critic is probably the most famous of the stuff from That Guy with the Glasses, so if legal clearances weren't neccessary then it's shocking The Nostalgia Critic isn't included.