About Copyrights
Respecting the copyright law is a way of protecting yourself and your church or institution from lawsuit. Having permission in writing establishes a paper trail for your protection. And most importantly, it allows us to pay the composer or author for their work.
To submit a reprint permission request, fill in the Reprint Permission Form, or if you have further questions please contact us at copyrightscpi@cpg.org.
FAQ
1) I have a subscription to RiteSong. Do I need permissions?
For RiteSong, permission is included for congregational use for the following:
2) I need to print music for a weekly bulletin, a hymnal supplement or a Christmas concert. How do I get the rights for this?
Church Publishing Incorporated (CPI) is a member of OneLicense.net, where you can purchase a license to use certain works.
3) We will use this printed music on an ongoing basis.
If you are producing a resource for ongoing use, then the following fees/conditions apply:
If Church Publishing Incorporated owns it: email copyrightscpi@cpg.org to obtain permission fees for use. Please allow 2 weeks for response.
If Church Publishing Incorporated doesn’t own it: contact the proper copyright holder; we may be able to provide you with the address. The copyright owner and address can often be found in the back of each hymnal.
4) I would like to use an excerpt in a for-profit publication.
For music own by Church Publishing Incorporated, please email copyrightscpi@cpg.org to obtain permission fees for use. Please allow 2 weeks for response.
For music not owned by Church Publishing Incorporated, contact the proper copyright holder. We may be able to provide you with the address. The copyright owner and address can often be found in the back of each hymnal.
5) How can we use a Church Publishing Incorporated recording as background music on our telephone system or website?
To use a Church Publishing Incorporated recording as background music on your telephone system or website, you will need to obtain permission.
If Church Publishing Incorporated owns it: email copyrightscpi@cpg.org to obtain permission fees for use. Please allow 2 weeks for response.
If Church Publishing Incorporated doesn’t own it: contact the proper copyright holder; we may be able to provide you with the address.
6) What information does Church Publishing Incorporated need from me for a request?
Please include the following information in your email:
7) How can I look up copyright information myself?
All other hymnals have the copyright citation at the end of each selection. Absence of a copyright listing means that the selection is in public domain (copyright has expired and permission is not required).
8) Is Church Publishing Incorporated part of a licensing agency?
Church Publishing Incorporated is a member of LicenSing and OneLicense, both of which make reporting very easy. If you subscribe to RiteSong you get certain permissions automatically with no need to spend a lot of time reporting usage. For additional information regarding these permissions, review your RiteSong license.
9) Do I need permissions for the Book of Common Prayer?
The Book of Common Prayer is in the public domain. This means that no copyright permission is required. Other CPI publications that give blanket permission to make copies for congregational use are:
A citation on the permissions page of our publications (on the back of title page) may clarify the copyright status if you have questions.