In this section you will find mainly web links to the relevant organisations that will help you in the nitty gritty of running a choir.
In summary, the key issues are COPYRIGHT & LICENSING, and LEGALLY RUNNING AN INCORPORATED ASSOCIATIONS.
KEY ISSUE
MAIN AGENCIES
Copyright and Licensing
APRA AMCOS Australian Copyright Council
Business/Legal side of choirs
NSW Dept of Fair Trading, ASIC Intellectual Property Australia
Read on for details and weblinks.
a cappella choir administration resources
(Australia)
Copyright & Licensing
APRA & AMCOS Links APRA (Australasian Performing Rights Association) and AMCOS (Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners’ Society) work together to protect the rights of copyrights owners. Below are links to their combined website.
AMCOS - eg applying for musical arranging rights and photocopying of these arrangements.
AUSTRALIAN COPYRIGHT COUNCIL The Australian Copyright Council has information sheets on how to obtain copyright for your purposes. http://www.copyright.org.au
The relevant information sheets are (you need to search for these in the website):
G51: Owners of copyright: how to find G59: Music: Choirs, Bands & Private Music Teachers G64: Staging musicals, concerts & plays G70: Music: copying MP3s, CDs and audio cassettes
The business/legal side of running a choir
Incorporations, Business Names and Trade Marks
Forming an Incorporated Association (NSW Department of Fair Trading) You should consider
forming an incorporated associated to help run your choir in a legal
manner. The NSW Department of Fair Trade has lots of relevant information
about associations and incorporations. Read it very carefully!
Searching for a registered business name (ASIC) In finding a suitable name for your
incorporated association, you can search the ASIC website to see if the
name is available for you to use.
Intellectual Property Australia is the government department which deals with this issue:
http://www.ipaustralia.gov.au/ Trade Marking your logo (Intellectual Property) If you design a
logo, you can also check the Intellectual Property Trade Mark search
engine (ATMOSS) to check whether the logo is available for trade marking. Click on Enter as guest.