Catholic Diocese of Portsmouth

The Diocese of Portsmouth covers Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, the Channel Isles and parts of Berkshire, Dorset and Oxfordshire

LITURGY

Copyright

Catholic Diocese of Portsmouth

Liturgy involves both texts and music. Both these elements are subject to copyright laws and to performing and mechanical right laws. Disentangling these can be a major minefield, and it is easy to break the law unwittingly. Because a parish does not have a separate legal existence, if action for breach of copyright is brought it is the diocese that is sued, not the parish. This can become very expensive.

Other areas, such as audio- and video-recording (e.g. of weddings or other services), are also subject to restrictions.

Help for parishes includes advice on copyright issues, advice on hymn books, where to go for copyright permissions, different kinds of photocopying, etc. Click on a link below for further details, or a link on the left to go to another page.

Copyright licences 

Recordings