Klarinet Archive - Posting 000215.txt from 1998/08

From: Lee Hickling <hickling@-----.Net>
Subj: Re: [kl] Copywrite Question for "Experts"!
Date: Thu, 6 Aug 1998 00:22:05 -0400

Matt Palasik wrote:
>All this talk about church music brings up something i remember back
>from history class. The term"Separation of Church and State" Wouldnt
>this precedent allow church musicians some slack?

No, Matt. Churches don't have any special status, except that they don't
usually pay taxes on the church buildings and land, provided they are used
for worship. Most jurisdictions do tax any income-producing property they
happen to own. They pay for everything just like us. Heating fuel,
electricity, water and sewer service and so on, and salaries to the clergy
and staff, including musicians, and they have to buy their music --
hymnals, arrangements for choir, and so on.

Churches are subject to the copyright laws like everyone else, and as a
couple of subscribers to this list have reported, some have been nailed as
copyright violators and heavily fined.

The separation of church and state is widely misunderstood. It only means
that no particular religion can be made the official one, supported by
public money and given other special privileges. However, this original
clarity has been much confused in the public mind, and in law, by recent
court decisions and legislation, particularly in the area of support of
church schools.

Lee Hickling <hickling@-----.net>

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