(a) It shall be a felony for any person to:

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Terms Used In Alabama Code 13A-8-81

  • Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
  • owner: as used in this article , shall mean the person who owns, or has the exclusive license in the United States to reproduce or the exclusive license in the United States to distribute to the public copies of the original fixation of sounds embodied in the master phonograph record, master disc, master tape, master film or other device used for reproducing recorded sounds on phonograph records, discs, tapes, films, videocassettes or other articles now known or later developed on which sound is recorded and from which the transferred sounds are directly or indirectly derived, or the person who owns the rights to record or to authorize the recording of a live performance. See Alabama Code 13A-8-80
  • person: includes a corporation as well as a natural person. See Alabama Code 1-1-1
(1) Knowingly transfer or cause to be transferred, directly or indirectly, by any means, any sounds recorded on a phonograph record, disc, wire, tape, film, videocassette or other article now known or later developed on which sounds are recorded, with the intent, for commercial advantage or private financial gain, to sell or rent, or cause to be sold or rented, or to be used for profit through public performance, such article on which sounds are so transferred, without consent of the owner;
(2) Knowingly transfer or cause to be transferred, directly or indirectly, by any means, onto any phonograph record, disc, wire, tape, film, videocassette or other article now known or later developed, any live performance, for commercial advantage or private financial gain, without the consent of the owner; or
(3) Manufacture, distribute, transport or wholesale any article with the knowledge that the sounds or performances are so transferred without consent of the owner.
(b) The provisions of this section shall not apply to any person engaged in radio or television broadcasting who transfers, or causes to be transferred, any such sounds other than from the sound track of a motion picture intended for, or in connection with broadcast or telecast transmission or related uses, or for archival purposes.
(c) Penalties for violations hereof are prescribed in Section 13A-8-86(a).
(d) Subdivision (a)(1) of this section applies only to sound recordings that were initially fixed prior to February 15, 1972.
(e) In the absence of a written agreement or operation of law to the contrary, the performer or performers of the live performance shall be presumed to own the rights to record or authorize the recording of the live performance. In any proceeding where a performer’s consent is in issue, a person who is authorized to maintain custody and control over business records reflecting consent shall be considered a proper witness, subject to all rules of evidence relating to competency and admissibility.
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