Will music copyright laws apply? And can I bypass them?

Question

I am a pretty big gamer, and i love to make my own.
I am working with warcraft III which has a world builder.
To spice the game up i would like to add music to it, I wish to use music that i found from a Nintendo Game.

How would i do this without violating anything?

Answer 1

you need permission from Nintendo.

just so you know, copyright expires 70 years after the composer's death (unless renewed). that's why classical music CDs are so cheap. so if they don't let you use their music you may wanna look into some old stuff.

Answer 2

You would probably need a license from Nintendo to use THEIR music. If you are not selling the game and using it just for your personal use, one might argue that using their music is "fair use" but this is a very gray area, and it's best to be careful.

Look up the "Fair Use Doctrine" for your own info. There are different elements to this doctrine which courts use to determine if use of a copywritten work may be used without permission.

Best bet might be to make your own music if possible.

Answer 3

You may be able to use that music for personal use, but if you do anything commercial (as in selling the game) you have to contact the owner and ask for permission.

Answer 4

You need to contact the creators of the Ninetendo Game to get permission., they may not give it however.

If you really want to do right by the creative talents of the people that created the original music you want to use.