The idea for SING! was born in 2000, years before a comparable, albeit much better-known project was launched with the Creative Commons licence. However, SING! differs from Creative Commons in various ways and, in simple terms, is intended to enable songwriters to release their songs into public domain so that the path from film song to folk song is a short one.
SING! is the abbreviation for SING! Is Not Gema to make it clear that Gema, the German performance rights organisation, cannot and may not make any claims in connection with these titles. The principles are kept particularly simple so that they can be easily followed and distributed. Everyone is invited to adopt them, and the four principles may be distributed on any website – but please do not change them.
All my songs are released according to the SING! principle. This does not affect my stories, novels and other prose texts, which may not be redistributed without my explicit permission or that of my publishers. I also welcome any feedback from other musicians who have performed my songs. If anyone would like to distribute one or more of my songs on CD, please contact me.
The four principles of SING!
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The right to sing
Anyone may sing and/or play my songs. This includes semi-public and public performances as well as commercial performances. In all cases, I must be named as the author.
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The right to filk
Anyone may filk my songs: parody them, add new verses, add a new melody or use the melody for a new song of their own. In any case, I must be named as the author of the original work or of the parts that still originate from me.
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The right to distribute
Anyone may include my songs in written and sheet music form in songbooks and collections, make them available on websites or teach them to others. Lyrics, chords and – if available – sheet music may be reproduced for this purpose. In the case of publication in printed form (e.g. a songbook), I request a specimen copy.
Please note: Recordings (audio and visual media, videos) are expressly excluded from this right of copying and free distribution. Copies from songbooks must be agreed with the publishers.
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The right to ignorance
When songs are passed on freely, it can happen that the actual authors are forgotten. I approve of my songs being sung and played by those who do not know that they are mine. However, this ignorance must be openly admitted: the performance must not give the false impression that it is their own work.
In short, in GEMA German: I release the performance rights free of charge as well as part of the mechanical reproduction rights (lyrics, chords, sheet music) for all my songs in return for a specimen copy.
The four principles of SING were formulated by Thesilée and Volker Tanger.
Reproduction is welcome.