Battle of Britain theme tune copyright ??

By: Fleet16b - 6th July 2009 at 16:56 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00

I just got back from attending an Airshow over here in Canada and they played the B OF B theme song a few times over 3 days.
I doubt anyone will go after them but if it is owned and you use it on DVD's that you will sell, I am sure it will get someones attention eventually

By: Hatton - 6th July 2009 at 17:33 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00

I am currently making a short DVD and i want to use the theme tune from the Battle of Britain as background music does anyone know how i go about contacting the people who hold the copyright ? maybe this film tune has an expired copyright and is now in the public domain? any help gratefully recieved.

If you find out which record / cd label last released the soundtrack then you could ring them and find out who possesses copyright. This piece of music wont be in public domain im afraid.

good luck with your project

Steve

By: J Boyle - 6th July 2009 at 17:48 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00

I wonder if it would be cheaper to license a version from one of the compliation CDs of film themes? I got one from Amazon.com that had a huge selection of war film music including BoB and Dambusters. (I was looking for a version of Jerry Goldsmith's theme for In Harms Way . If the soundtrack was ever released, it was long ago and no longer available.).

They are usually performed by other orchestras, and are not from the actual soundtrack. You can't tell the difference by listening to them.
It might be charper too go that route.

By: J Boyle - 6th July 2009 at 22:15 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00

Do you mean buy the right to use the LP as apposed to the single original sound track?

Yes, the right to use a performance from a compilation CD as opposed to the original film soundtrack.
Mr. Goodwin would still get his money since the producers of the CD paid the artist (composer) royalty. If they license the use of their work, some of that would go to Goodwin.

I admit I'm no expert here, but as I said in my first post, licensing the music from another recording might/should/could be cheaper than the original soundtrack.

(A lot of the music is performed by Eastern European symphonies...who presumably work for less money than the London or New York Philharmonic.
I was listening to the radio the other day about a local film production company that makes small budget ..$5 to $7 million... feature films. Most go directly to TV, airlines, overseas, or DVD markets. They said most of their soundtracks were recorded overseas. Outsourcing is everywhere it seems.).

BTW: I wonder about the original 75 quid quote for 30 seconds if that just pays for the song...and not a performance of the song? In other words, after paying the 75 pounds, you'd still have to hire an orchestra.

By: Scouse - 6th July 2009 at 22:23 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00

Graham, it also depends on which particular bit of the BoB film score you want. The original music was written by William Walton, but the producers ditched most (but not all) of the Walton music and commissioned some new music from Ron Goodwin.
Then, to confuse matters, some of the Walton music was reinstated in a later edit of the BoB film. As it stands, from memory, the Walton bits are for an aerial ballet sequence and the closing titles in the re-edited version.
Don't know who holds the copyright now, but I'd start at www.williamwalton.net and go from there.

William

By: Martin Bull - 6th July 2009 at 22:45 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00

Rykodisc released a full CD of the BofB soundtrack a few years ago which included the rediscovered Walton material that was discarded from the movie.

Publishing copyright for the Ron Goodwin score is held by EMI Unart.