Bigimotik Cosplay

If you’re adding graphics, sound, music, or video elements to your cosplay skit, chances are you’re working with copyrighted materials. This guide covers what copyright is and how you can work with copyrighted materials in your skits.

The Oxford Language Dictionary defines Copyright as:

The exclusive legal right, given to an originator or an assignee to print, publish, perform, film, or record literary, artistic, or musical material, and to authorize others to do the same.

Works under copyright must be licensed, otherwise the owner of the copyright can take penalizing action like take-down orders or issuing fines for improper use. Licenses are usually paid.

Sometimes a copyright owner may not require traditional licensing fees. For example, a work could be made royalty free, which means others can license or use the work without paying a fee. Or the copyright owner may require attribution, or public credit, in lieu of a royalty or license fee.

The copyright on works can expire, at which point the works move into the public domain. Works in the public domain do not need to be licensed.

Each country will have their own definitions of what materials are considered copyrighted, how they can be used, and what actions the owner can take.

For example, under USA copyright law, the creator of a work automatically owns the copyright without having to file anything. The USA also has fair use law, which allows for the use of copyrighted material in small quantities if it meets certain criteria, such as for criticism/commentary, reporting, academia, or parodies.

When working with AV elements, make sure to get appropriate licensing where needed:

1. If you purchase a license for assets or use a library of assets, check the terms of use to see if the licensing includes live performance, streaming, and/or video on demand. Those scenarios may require separate or more expensive licenses.
   
2. If the owner gives you permission to use their media royalty-free, confirm in writing how and what attribution needs to occur (e.g. credit in the video, link in the description, verbal attribute in the skit intro)