By Apostle Nazareth H. Machon

You can read this article as a pdf, it has underlined and colored important passages to stand out. It will open in a new window.




Let us start with the Legal aspect of Copyright

We will understand what copyright means and what will happen if it is violated

In the pdf file some important parts are colored and underlined to highlight the important words which are used to make clear the worldly issue and to understand the deeper meaning.

Front Page of CCLI Website

Your content shares a message of hope, of respect, and of love for God through song. It is a gift that inspires. It heals. It unites. And it deserves to be enjoyed by everyone in the Christian community and throughout the 250,000 churches worldwide who trust CCLI.

We believe that artists and songwriters deserve rightful compensation for their efforts. And moreover, if writing great songs of worship is how one chooses to make a living, all the better. CCLI helps to make that dream a reality.

CCLI is the Christian songwriter’s path to new audiences and we provide you with the assurance that your creative product is being accessed and copied legally and that you are being paid fairly for the work you create. It provides the platform to introduce your songs to Christian churches and congregations around the world. Most of all, CCLI honors your work as the thread that unites Christian people in worship.

Above we read the statement of CCLI where all churches have to register if they want to perform Christian music aside from Hymns in public, or use it on any internet video or life stream.

Let us see clearly what Jesus tells us about it and what people say who write those songs?

Copyright is the exclusive right provided to the author or owner of original creative work. That’s you. To honor your work, CCLI partners with labels, publishers and Christian churches and organizations to ensure that these assets — your assets — are fairly and properly protected by law. Further, CCLI makes your work accessible and attainable to audiences who want to hear your message in song.

For artists and songwriters, CCLI establishes direct access to channels of distribution and to audiences who not only honor and value creative output, but who are enabled to purchase, rehearse, perform and share your musical content legally because you are compensated for your efforts.

Matthew 10:8 8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give. KJV

I colored and underlined some major points contradicting with God’s will. It shows that the author is honored but not Christ, it is the authors work and property but not Christ’s;

The author is compensated by the world but not by Christ! Matthew 6:1-6

Copyright Definition

A copyright is an intellectual property right granted by a government that gives the owner exclusive rights to use, with some limited exceptions, original expressive work. Examples of materials entitled to copyright protection include original works of fiction, non-fiction, music, architectural design, artistic paintings, and sculptures. Copyright law in the United States is governed by the Copyright Act of 1976.

Taken from: https://study.com/academy/lesson/what-are-copyright-laws-definition-lesson-quiz.html

Copyright Law:

According to CCLI:

What do I need to know?

Regardless of where you are in the world, understanding copyright law can be exhausting. For example, the first chapter of the U.S. Copyright Law—which simply defines basic legal language—totals more than 45,000 words. That’s one chapter!

And if the U.S. Copyright Office and copyright lawyers are the only ones who truly understand the minutiae within, it’s easy to understand why disputes occur. The law is extensive. It’s confusing.

And for churches, schools or organizations, a seemingly honest error or omission can be both embarrassing and time-consuming. At the same time, the law seeks fairness and protection for all parties.

How does my church or organization protect itself?

First off, by honoring the copyright laws that apply in your country. CCLI can help. With the proper copyright license, churches, organizations and schools are legally covered to show films, play music, download songs or lyrics, and copy, reproduce, and distribute the words and images contained within. All the while saving administrative time, expense and effort.

https://us.ccli.com/

We should underscore that CCLI doesn’t write or enforce copyright law. Yet as our customers further embrace technology to share the power of music, film, words and images, CCLI ensures they are covered under the law.

Copyright Infringement Penalties

Copyright infringement is the act of violating any of a copyright owner’s exclusive rights granted by the federal Copyright Act. There are three elements that must be in place in order for the infringement to occur.

1. The copyright holder must have a valid copyright.

2. The person who is allegedly infringing must have access to the copyrighted work.

3. The duplication of the copyrighted work must be outside the exceptions.



The legal penalties for copyright infringement are:

1. Infringer pays the actual dollar amount of damages and profits.

2. The law provides a range from $200 to $150,000 for each work infringed.

3. Infringer pays for all attorneys fees and court costs.

4. The Court can issue an injunction to stop the infringing acts.

5. The Court can impound the illegal works.

6. The infringer can go to jail.

Taken from: https://www.lib.purdue.edu/uco/CopyrightBasics/penalties.html



US Copyright: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copyright_law_of_the_United_States

Criminal penalties[edit]

Main article: Criminal Copyright Law in the United States

In addition to the civil remedies, the Copyright Act provides for criminal prosecution in some cases of willful copyright infringement. There are also criminal sanctions for fraudulent copyright notice, fraudulent removal of copyright notice, and false representations in applications for copyright registration. The Digital Millennium Copyright Act imposes criminal sanctions for certain acts of circumvention and interference with copyright management information. There are not criminal sanctions for violating the rights of attribution and integrity held by the author of a work of visual art.

Criminal penalties for copyright infringement include:

• A fine of not more than $500,000 or imprisonment for not more than five years, or both, for the first offense.

• A fine of not more than $1 million or imprisonment for not more than 10 years, or both, for repeated offenses.

Nonprofit libraries, archives, education institutions and public broadcasting entities are exempt from criminal prosecution.

Felony penalties for first offenses begin at seven copies for audiovisual works, and one hundred copies for sound recordings.[87]



Philippines Copyright Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copyright_law_of_the_Philippines

http://www.federislaw.com.ph/faqs-resources/copyright/

The author has the exclusive right to carry out, authorize or prevent the:

1. Reproduction of the work or substantial portion of the work;

2. Dramatization, translation, adaptation, abridgment, arrangement or other transformation of the work;

3. The first public distribution of the original and each copy of the work by sale or other forms of transfer of ownership;

4. Rental of the original or a copy of an audio-visual or cinematographic work, a work embodied in a sound recording, a computer program, a compilation of data and other materials or a musical work in graphic form, irrespective of the ownership of the original or the copy which is the subject of the rental;

5. Public display of the original or a copy of the work;

6. Public performance of the work; and

7. Other communication to the public of the work.

What is “fair use”?

The fair use of a copyrighted work for criticism, comment, news, reporting, teaching including multiple copies for classroom use, scholarship, research and similar purposes is not an infringement of copyright.

Decompilation, which is the reproduction of the code and translation of the forms of the computer programs to achieve the inter-operability of an independently created computer program with other programs, may also constitute fair use.



To determine whether use of a work constitutes fair use, the following factors are considered:

1. The purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of a commercial nature or is for non-profit educational purposes;

2. The nature of the copyrighted work;

3. The amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole; and

4. The effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work.

What are the penalties provided by Philippine law for copyright infringement?

Under Philippine law, copyright infringement is punishable by the following:



1. Imprisonment of between 1 to 3 years and a fine of between 50,000 to 150,000 pesos for the first offense.

2. Imprisonment of 3 years and 1 day to six years plus a fine of between 150,000 to 500,000 pesos for the second offense.

3. Imprisonment of 6 years and 1 day to 9 years plus a fine ranging from 500,000 to 1,500,000 pesos for the third and subsequent offenses.

The offending party may also be ordered to pay civil damages.

Injunction and destruction of the infringing goods or products can also be obtained, as well as seizure and impounding of any article which may serve as evidence in the court proceedings.

So far to the legal aspect of copyright and what it means for us Christians if we violate this law no matter where in the world!

The question is now: CSS and CSLI are charging fees which are very high and a small church could never afford.

What is done with this money?

Where do royalties go?

Music royalties are payments that go to recording artists, songwriters, composers, publishers, and other copyright holders for the right to use their intellectual property. U.S. copyright laws give artists these exclusive rights to their work. Music Royalties are also generated for various types of licensing and usage.30.03.2020

How much is Don Moen worth?

Don Moen net worth: Don Moen is an American singer/songwriter, pastor, and music producer who has a net worth of $30 million. Don Moen was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota in June 1950. He studied at Oral Roberts University and traveled with Terry Law Ministries as a Living Sound musician for 10 years.

Music Label Integrity Music, Hosanna

How much is Michale W. Smith worth

Smith net worth: Michael W. Smith is an American singer, songwriter, and musician who has a net worth of $14 million. Michael W. Smith was born in Kenova, West Virginia in October 1957. Label: Rocketown Records

Hillsong Music

(The band has more than 1 million followers on Instagram, more than 30 million streams on Spotify, and is one main revenue stream for the church, reportedly earning about $100 million per year.) Since Hillsong was founded in Sydney, Australia in 1983, the church has become an evangelical empire.

Bethel Church

Bethel Church's $60.8 million income is a bit mind boggling to those of us who have driven up College View Drive to see the nondescript building on the hill, surrounded by immaculate landscaping and a driveway lined by international flags.13.05.2019

Just to mention few of those writers and companies. The number of Christian songs under copyright are more then 380000.

The New York Times

April 20 1984

CHURCH IS GUILTY IN COPYRIGHT CASE

About the Archive

This is a digitized version of an article from The Times’s print archive, before the start of online publication in 1996. To preserve these articles as they originally appeared, The Times does not alter, edit or update them.

Occasionally the digitization process introduces transcription errors or other problems; we are continuing to work to improve these archived versions.

A composer and publisher of religious music was awarded more than $3.1 million today by a Federal District Court jury that found the Archdiocese of Chicago guilty of illegally photocopying his works.

Dennis Fitzpatrick, president of FEL Publications Ltd. of Los Angeles, said the jury's award sent a clear message to the archdiocese: ''Don't take advantage of authors and composers of sacred music.''

Mr. Fitzpatrick, who filed suit against the archdiocese in 1976, said: ''I thanked God when I heard the verdict. I feel totally vindicated by the jury's decision.''

He has written numeruos religious songs, including ''They'll Know We Are Christians By Our Love,'' ''I Am The Resurrection'' and ''Til All My People Are One.''

https://www.nytimes.com/1984/04/20/us/church-is-guilty-in-copyright-case.html

Well, I stated above many legal aspects and explanations and statements posted concerning copyright law inclusive penalties and a sample law suit against a church from a Christian song writer.

Also is shown, how much money those writers of Christian music make through their worldly music labels.

We see that the music labels are owned by individuals

We see that Christian music labels are a million dollar industry



What does it mean ofr the born again church?

Let us examine what it means to pay to these so called organizations who forward the royalties to the copyright owners the individuals.

We as a Born again Christian church want to play a song from one of these great songs. We want to use it in our crusades, on our videos, in or radios stations, in our life stream or on our outside activities. In order to do this, we have to register to this CSS or CCLI and pay a annual fee. Below find the fees charged by CCL

.

We all know that for example Rocketown Music is also recording music for non Christian and we have reports that rocketown is hosting even satanic band events.

Here an article from 1994

Rocketown was founded in 1994 by Michael W. Smith in Franklin, TN and in 2002, found a new home in downtown Nashville. The venue is part nightclub, part coffeehouse, and part activities center, complete with an indoor skate park. Christian bands play music, teens can dance under the disco ball, and there are even weekly Bible studies in the coffeehouse, rounding out the club’s mission: to share “Christ’s love with youth through creative programs and mentoring relationships that are culturally relevant and eternally significant.”

But some fans of the club are questioning why Rocketown is hosting a night of hardcore satanic metal on October 27th, with a line up that includes The Black Dahlia Murder, Toxic Holocaust, Skeltonwitch, and Trap Them.

Here you can find the full article: https://www.beliefnet.com/columnists/gospelsoundcheck/2009/10/christian-club-rocketown-plays.html

We all know that The New age Churches spread a false gospel and as all what is not from God, is satanic!

We as a born again Church buy this license to sing their songs and pay the money; which is usually the hard earned offering of the saints and presented to God and trusted by God to the stewards of the same offering, the leaders of the church; to this organizations which are responsible to spread the money to the authors. Meaning: We as born again Christians, pay to a satanic church, to money makers in order to worship God!

This is paying tribute to satan to worship God and this is not in the will of God, this is against the will of God and such worship is not accepted by Him who is the most Holy, just and righteous God.

Jesus tells us, that the true worshippers will worship in spirit and in truth!

John 4:23-24

23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.

24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. KJV

We were reading that the Lord gives free and we shall give free Matthew 10:8

Now if you ask any of those worship song writers: Who gives you the words and the melody? They will say: Oh I am so inspired by the Holy Spirit it is only God who can give me such words and melodies!

In the statement we see written: “We believe that artists and songwriters deserve rightful compensation for their efforts. And moreover, if writing great songs of worship is how one chooses to make a living, all the better. CCLI helps to make that dream a reality.”

“Copyright is the exclusive right provided to the author or owner of original creative work. That’s you. To honor your work, CCLI partners with labels, publishers and Christian churches and organizations to ensure that these assets — your assets — are fairly and properly protected by law. Further, CCLI makes your work accessible and attainable to audiences who want to hear your message in song.”

If a Christian is claiming copyright and ownership of intellectual work and forces Christians to pay for it and if violated this right of being paid, that the law will be enforced and they be taken to a worldly court and charged and fined with huge amount of money and even imprisonment, this people can’t be from God!

They are neither Christians, nor born again but used by satan.

Why do I say used by satan?

What was satans ministry when he was still in heaven?

Ezekiel 28:13 Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created. KJV



Satan knows exactly where to hit a church into the heart and make the church an abomination and unacceptable before God. He does not have to fight, he is mentioned in the Book of Genesis as the serpant.

Genesis 3:1 Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? KJV

Satan develops daily new strategies how to deceive, to steal to destroy and to kill. In our time he uses laws and technology. Like how to use the copyright law and social networks, for his benefits, to keep us away from God and make us inacceptable and satan will be the one accusing us and if we do wrong according to law or use the social networks wrongly, the God of justice and righteousness will rule in benefit for the accuser.

Romans 13:2;

What does it mean for us?

If I as a church take the offering which are received by God and given to us as stewards and use them to pay devils workers in order to do the most sacred thing in the church, to worship the Creator, the Amen, the Alpha & Omega, the Most Holy, the Almighty God, then I am without knowledge and understanding in the spiritual.

How can I please God if I take his money and pay satan in order to please God?

Does it not sound foolish?

How can we pay the world to worship God?

God wants us to worship Him in spirit and truth!

Do I charge you as an anointed preacher to preach the gospel or to teach? Or would you charge money for that? Would you charge money for laying hand on someone sick and he is healed in Jesus name?

Why do the so called Christian songwriters charge us for what is given to them from God and them being honored and promoted and gain millions of dollars? Why do we pay them? They are supposed to be believers as we and give free.

Or does the teacher in the church charge us money?

Why the song writers?

Because it is what satan knows best and it is for him the most easy way to make a church dirty, polluted and inacceptable before God.

Now: if I say ohh I do not pay this license and I will play such song in my crusade or event I will be called a thief!

Could a Jew in the old testament, steal a lamb in order to go to Jerusalem and offer the lamb as a holy sacrifice on the day of Passover?

What would God have done with such a person?

Can we take something unclean into the sanctuary and please God?

Can we break the law to use something in order to worship God?

God will call us a thief and our worship is unacceptable before him.

*The widespread answer I get from church leaders in every country I went is: Oh nobody cares here; nobody comes here to sue us to punish us. There was never something like this in our church. Or I hear there is nothing wrong with the songs Jesus forgives he knows our intention.

Is this an answer a spiritual mature Christian, a church leader or worship leader should give?

It is like I get my passa lamb and bring it to the witchdoctor and get it back pay the witchdoctor and offer it on the altar.

Revelation chapter 3: 14-19

14 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;

15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.

16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.

17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:

18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.

19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. KJV

Let me ask you:

Is God accepting lukewarm people?

Is God accepting lukewarm worship?

Is God accepting anything we do in this world which violates the existing law in our country which is for the benefit and protection of the people?

Is God accepting anything we buy from satan and his people to be offered to Him?

If your answer is no to this, then why do we use those money makers songs in our churches?

They are compromising, misleading people into hell. People lead by them and follow their music into their churches, will never see salvation but will be condemned forever, they burn in hell and will be condemned into the lake of fire!

Matthew 15:14

14 Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch. KJV

What shall we do now as born again Christians, as church leaders to stay blameless before God?

Let our brethren write songs and place them under a fair use copyright which explains how to use the song and that it is not allowed the song to be changed or used for any money gain. Otherwise the world will snatch the song and claim ownership and put their copyright on it. It will be a very long law suit to get right and their lawyers are better then those we can afford. The money we would spend for this lawsuit would ruin us and can be used for the kingdom work.

Now, what does Paul say about all this?

1st Cor 6: 6 Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints?

2 Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?

3 Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?

4 If then ye have judgments of things pertaining to this life, set them to judge who are least esteemed in the church.

5 I speak to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you? no, not one that shall be able to judge between his brethren?

6 But brother goeth to law with brother, and that before the unbelievers.

7 Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another. Why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded?

8 Nay, ye do wrong, and defraud, and that your brethren.

9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,

10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. KJV

Look at verse 1. And compare it with the statement in the law suit mentioned by the owner of the materials. “Mr. Fitzpatrick, who filed suit against the archdiocese in 1976, said: ''I thanked God when I heard the verdict. I feel totally vindicated by the jury's decision.''

These songwriters who earn millions from God’s inspiration are in the category of verse 9-10

Are we part of them?

Let our anointed people write songs, place them under fair use policy and spread them over all the social networks, put them on their website, on YouTube and share them with other churches. This is a God pleasing worship with such songs. Free it is given freely give!

Just because all other churches use this songs and pay, we do it too?

See what Jesus says about it: Matthew 7:13-14

13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:

14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. KJV

If I pay this license, then I agree with them; now if I pay them who write these songs and they are of the misleading, I agree with the misleaders and if I agree with the misleaders, I become one of them. Or: if i pay and love the liar, i am part with him.

Amos 3:2-3

2 You only have I known of all the families of the earth: therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities.

3 Can two walk together, except they be agreed? KJV

Many say: oh their music holds the youth in my church, or: the youth is eager to play this songs they love it.

When I have such statements, I am missing something!

In the first: it is never about me, it is all about Him!

If the youth stays not in the church because they want rock praise and Hillsong worship music, then they have no salvation because they are missing the reason why we are gathering and it puts a big question on the leaders and teachers and worship pastors in the church. If I do not gather in the church for God but for my own good feelings, I have not learned what Jesus did for us on the Cross. If I cannot worship with Hymns then I am lost.

Another side effect is: precious instruments with soft beautiful sounds like violin, flute, harp, and Violin Chellos, Double Bass, Oboe, Clarinet and more are removed out of the churches and replaced with howling e-guitars drums and e-bass and artificial sounding keyboards. Worship groups and singers are exalted and celebrated like rock stars.

Next thing is. Those people such of new age churches showing a respect less dress code, which is copied by the youth in our church. Like torn trousers, hipster, mini skirts, tight trousers or leggings for women. Even coming with jogging trousers and playing guitar in the worship session.

Is this really Godly?

Jesus is not cool, Jesus is not hip or poppy

Jesus is Holy, Jesus is just, Jesus is righteous

My appearance before him shows my respect to Him and how I see Him!

My Christian life should be as of a people who died in the baptism from this world and risen with Christ in the spirit when I came out of the water. It is not how I feel comfortable, it is all about Him.

If I am born again, I will feel in discomfort if I come in disorder or offensive to the gathering of the church and even walking like that in public. What does an 56 years old sister shows walking with a tight leggings into the gathering or in public; how sexy she is? Or a young sister, what is she to show? Tempting the brothers in the church or the man outside?

.................................................................................................................................................................................

I am calling everybody who says he or she is born again Christian and able to compose, to write songs and make them available for free. This will stop law suits; this will bring the church back to the true foundation which is God and Jesus Christ as the chief corner stone. This will make our worship before God acceptable and our candle will remain in the candle stick!

This will destroy the works of the evil. Remember that a part of the money they gain is used to build another new age or false religious churches to mislead more and more people into a false gospel and so into hell.

I do not want to have this blood on my hand, because the Day of Judgment is near and Jesus will judge us just and righteous

Be hot but be not could and not lukewarm.

Let us do what is right before God.

Jesus says let those who have ears her

He says: Luke 10:16

16 He that heareth you heareth me; and he that despiseth you despiseth me; and he that despiseth me despiseth Him that sent me. KJV

Everyone who buys a CD of those misleaders, everyone who pays these copyright organizations will support those money makers and make them richer and confirm them in their doing.

On top: everyone who pays for a CD of those misleaders or pays these copyright organizations is guilty of misleading people into a false gospel, because part of the money is used for their abominable churches and evangelism to lure people into the pit.

Worship is now a Christian music cult according to the issue and has a big marketing strategy with a curtain of spreading the gospel but in truth to feed the hunger of the devil with souls.

If the world wants to buy and pay this stuff of that songwriter, let them do, but for a born again Christian it is a play with fire and there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth’s.

*Ezekiel 33:30-33

30 Also, thou son of man, the children of thy people still are talking against thee by the walls and in the doors of the houses, and speak one to another, every one to his brother, saying, Come, I pray you, and hear what is the word that cometh forth from the LORD. 31 And they come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as my people, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them: for with their mouth they shew much love, but their heart goeth after their covetousness. 32 And, lo, thou art unto them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice, and can play well on an instrument: for they hear thy words, but they do them not. 33 And when this cometh to pass, (lo, it will come,) then shall they know that a prophet hath been among them.

Sources:

https://www.biblegateway.com/ KJV;

www.ccli.com; https://study.com/academy/lesson/what-are-copyright-laws-definition-lesson-quiz.html ; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copyright_law_of_the_Philippines

http://www.federislaw.com.ph/faqs-resources/copyright/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copyright_law_of_the_United_States https://www.nytimes.com/1984/04/20/us/church-is-guilty-in-copyright-case.html

https://www.beliefnet.com/columnists/gospelsoundcheck/2009/10/christian-club-rocketown-plays.html

If you are touched, you can support the ministry