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So for the past few years, a friend of mine and I have been wanting to start our own fan created show and post it on youtube. We're both animators with 3D programs and lots of free time. We were going to do a full half hour show with voice cast and everything, until last week, when I came up with a new idea. One that didn't involve hiring actors for the show, and that could keep our character roster pretty low, that way we can animate quicker. Well the idea consists of using music to tell the story, and having the videos be as long as the songs. All of this is good, and we can do ourselves, but I need info on laws about copyrights.

We don't plan on making money of of this, it's just for fun. And there are many you tube channels that use copyright names and are completely safe, such as, "how it should've ended" and "honest trailers".

So I was wondering if some one can help explain how the laws work on this subject. I'm a teen, and my friends in his early twenties, and we'd really prefer it if has bro didn't sue us with its full legal might.(-;

We will be using the main transformers, Optimus prime, megatron, starscream, ect. And well known music. So please help us out. And we'll maybe give you a shout out in our credits when the show is made. Also, it'll be a few years, we both need to finish school, get better computers, and actually create this thing. Lol

As long as it's under the banner of "Fan fiction" and you aren't receiving money, you can use the names/characters, but they are very specific, you can't receive any money from it (including advertising I believe).

Music, on the other hand, is a no no. The record companies require permission and royalties and may consider it unauthorized distribution on Youtube (EMI especially hates having their artists used in 'fan videos').

Thanks for the speedy reply. That at least rests my mind on how legal making the series is. But crap... that music thing really screws the whole thing over...

Maybe I'll go ahead and make the videos with music, keep them for myself, family, and friends, not distribute them on the web.

Or even make the video without music, release that, and just post that it's meant to be listened to with whatever song. Similar to Rifftrax.

Best case scenario, I'm an aspiring writer, hoping to publish an original sci-fi series that I believe will revolutionize our views of Sci fi. And if that became as big as the likes of hunger games or even the divergent series, I could maybe strike a deal with hasbro lol.

Thanks again. And anyone else who has suggestions or even tips on helpful animation software, that would be cool. I'd like this to be a large thread where possible ideas for the series can be discussed, and even updates on my book series can be released.

I'm tagging this in the post because I want to tell more people tHan just the people in my face book friends, but Joel Hodgson is starting mst3k again on kickstarter. He is trying to get to 5.5 million, and is at 2.7 million right now. Please check it out on kickstarter. And if you don't know what show mystery science theater 3000 is, please log into this link on thanksgiving day for the 6 episode marathon. It will give you a feel for what the show is about.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ms ... ts/1420187

Is it okay to use the music if we made cover versions? Just about everyone in my family has a good singing voice, so if we got karaoke versions of the songs and sang the lyrics ourselves it would probably sound pretty good. If we did that, could we use it in the videos?