How Do Cover Artists Legally Exist?
Daniel asked a deceptively simple question: how does the entire world of cover artists legally exist? The answer runs through Section 115 of the Copyright Act, a compulsory mechanical license that dates back to a 1908 anti-monopoly fight over player piano rolls. That single quirk means any American musician can record their own version of any song that's already been commercially released — no permission required, just a statutory royalty. But the refuge is narrower than it looks. We walk through the composition-versus-master distinction, the three-license stack (mechanical, sync, master)…
The skinny
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