Hi folks,
I've just finished composing a choral piece that uses a quote from a book that is still in copyright as one section of the lyrics. I've filled out the proper form to request permission to use the quotation from Oxford University Press, who own the copyright to the book in question, and now they have replied asking what copyright license I plan to use for my finished score.
I generally use a personal copyright, in this case it would read: "Copyright © 2023 Maggie Furtak. Permission granted by the composer to freely copy, distribute, perform, or record this work," and I would insert any information about the text source in the format that Oxford desired.
But... now that they are specifically asking about my planned license, I wonder if it would increase my chances of having my request approved if I used something more standard and official, like the CPDL license.
Does anyone else have experience dealing with book publishers or Oxford University Press in particular, and have any insight that might be helpful?
I can always explain to them exactly as I have said here, but I assume I'm dealing with a harried desk worker, and suggesting something that fits their ideas of professionalism on the first try may help my case, since the decision of whether or not to allow me to use the quote and whether/how much to charge me for the privilege may be a bit of a subjective decision.
Thoughts?
-Maggie Furtak