When would our school require a School Copyright Licence?

If the copying of hymns or worship songs is carried out by any means (including copying by hand from books) without permission or authority from the copyright owner, or such copying is not covered by a copyright licence, a school could face potential legal action.

Your school would require a School Copyright Licence to:

• Project hymn and worship song words from an overhead acetate
• Store and retrieve hymns and worship songs from a computer
• Create your own service sheets that contain song words

Did You Know?

It is illegal to reproduce copyright lyrics - during the writer's lifetime and for 70 years after their death - without the permission or authority of:

• the copyright owner (or appointed representative) or
• a copyright licence (should one be available)

Copying material for use in Collective Worship without permission by any means (other than those stated in the restricted acts of The South African Copyright Act of 1978) - whether by photocopying, overhead projector acetates, computer storage & retrieval, cassette-to-cassette recordings and so on - the school faces potential expensive legal action. Copying the words by hand from books owned or putting a date on copies made makes no difference.

Our licences are designed to give licence holders ease of access to reproduce hymn & worship songs for an annual fee, ensuring writers are not deprived of rightful income. In addition, it helps schools through the complexities of copyright law.

Your collective worship will be enhanced with the School Copyright Licence. You can immediately reproduce over 150,000 lyrics from 2,500 music catalogues with out consuming delays getting permission from publishers for every song and, with a few exceptions, making separate payments to them.

What the School Copyright Licence allows you to do

Overhead Projection

• Project hymn and worship song words from acetates or slides
• Handwritten, typed or computer generated
• The most popular Collective Worship aid other than hymnbooks
• Most schools use the Overhead Projector for times of Collective Worship
• For non-commercial use only

Electronic Storage and Retrieval

• Input of hymn and worship song words into computer, word processor, etc.
• Retrieval of words for you own Collective Worship use
• Project though light boards, close-circuit TV and video monitor
• Reproduction of retrieved words by printer, photocopier, duplicator, etc.
• For non-commercial use only

Hymnbooks and Service Sheets

• Create your own multi-purpose hymn and songbooks for your school
• Include the words of chosen hymns and worship songs in your own service sheets for each time of Collective Worship
• Create your own songsheets for special services
• Personalise your worship services
• Produce from your own computer generated, typed or handwritten words
• Photocopy, duplicate or print the words you have produced
• For non-commercial use only

Video and Audio-Cassette Recordings

• Ideal for seasonal Christian festival presentations - Christmas, Easter, Harvest, etc.
• Record the live music of presentations for limited circulation among parents
• Quantity allowed to be reproduced governed by licence category
• Reproductions may be charged for at set rates to assist cost recovery
• No increase in Licence Fee for this additional service
• For non-commercial use only

IMPORTANT: This Licence does not convey the right to photocopy octavos, cantatas, musicals, orchestrations, vocal scores, handbell music, or other instrumental arrangements.  

Apply for a School Copyright Licence

Want more details? These pages will help:

• Cost: find out the cost of a School Copyright Licence for your church or organization.
• Authorized Catalogue and Administrator Lists: the list of copyright owners and administrators included the School Copyright Licence program.
• Terms: the Church Copyright Licence Terms of Agreement.
• Apply: for a School Copyright Licence

Do you have more questions about the School Copyright Licence? Please Contact Us.