You may loan, give or sell a legal recording to someone else, just like any other property. Performing This section is included for the benefit of individuals or groups that put on public concerts or shows. According to the law almost every public performance of a copyrighted work re- quires a license for that purpose. Performances in the course of religious services at a place of worship. If a performance takes place without a license, it is the owner of the estab- lishment that is liable for copyright infringement, not the musician.
Organizations exist for the purpose of issuing licenses to perform.
They take care of distributing the show royalties to their publisher members, which immensely simplifies the work of the person organizing the performance. BMI is newer, but larger, having over 80,000 members. There are offices for both organizations located around the country. To find them, contact the head office listed below, or consult the telephone directory if you live near a major city. Permission for these types of performances is still required, but must be obtained from the copyright holder directly.