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Copyright & Licensing

Copyright & Licensing

Last updated: January 26, 2026. MikeSudakMusic.com respects the intellectual property rights of others and includes original works as well as cover performances by Mike Sudak, Total Recall Band, and The Bird Dawg’s.

MikeSudakMusic.com (“Site,” “we,” “us”) respects the intellectual property rights of others. This Site includes original works and may include cover performances by Mike Sudak, Total Recall Band, and/or The Bird Dawg’s.

1) COPYRIGHT OWNERSHIP & LEGAL FRAMEWORK (U.S.)

U.S. copyright law grants copyright owners exclusive rights in their works (17 U.S.C. § 106), subject to statutory limitations and exceptions such as fair use (17 U.S.C. § 107). References on this page are provided for convenience; the full text of the statutes controls.

2) COVER PERFORMANCES: COMPOSITIONS vs. SOUND RECORDINGS

A “song” typically involves the underlying musical composition and lyrics and a particular sound recording of a performance. Unless expressly stated, cover tracks on this Site are our own performances and recordings and are not the original commercially released master recordings.

Even when a recording is an independent performance, the underlying musical composition and lyrics may still be protected and may require permission or licensing for certain uses and distributions.

3) LICENSING APPROACH

We aim to present content in a manner consistent with applicable copyright and licensing requirements. Where a license is required for the reproduction and distribution of a nondramatic musical work, U.S. law provides a compulsory licensing framework in 17 U.S.C. § 115, often called the mechanical license framework.

Nothing on this page is a representation that a license is or is not required for any specific track; requirements depend on the facts and the use.

Some content may be embedded or linked from third-party platforms such as SoundCloud or YouTube. Playback on those platforms is also subject to their terms and copyright policies.

4) FAIR USE (LIMITATIONS ON EXCLUSIVE RIGHTS)

Fair use is codified at 17 U.S.C. § 107 and is determined case-by-case by applying statutory factors. When we rely on fair use, for example for commentary, criticism, or other context-dependent uses, we do so based on the specific facts of that use.

A fair-use reference on this page is not a blanket statement that any particular track, or any entire full-length cover recording, is necessarily a fair use.

5) COPYRIGHT COMPLAINTS / DMCA TAKEDOWN REQUESTS (U.S.)

If you are a copyright owner, or authorized to act on behalf of one, and believe that content on this Site infringes your rights, please send a written notice with the following:

  • Identification of the copyrighted work claimed to be infringed
  • The specific URL(s) on this Site where the material appears
  • Your name, address, telephone number, and email address
  • A statement of good-faith belief that the use is not authorized by the rights holder, its agent, or the law
  • A statement that the information in the notice is accurate
  • A physical or electronic signature

See 17 U.S.C. § 512 for the DMCA framework.