[alexpotato]

> But my understanding of what Getty is selling is both convenience and a degree of legal protection for media buyers.

I don't know if this is still the case (given Spotify/Amazon Music etc) but with regards to convenience:

I remember reading a few years ago that it was almost impossible to find the holder of music copyright for a large portion of the existing catalogue of published music.

This was due to a combination of:

- no central database of ownership

- a LOT of music is produced by small labels

- music copyright ownership tends to change hands for various reasons

I can see how in this domain (and therefore similar domains), having a quick and easy way to say "I need X and I need to know no one is going to sue me for using it" has got to be a service that large corporations are willing to pay for.

[TylerE]

I seriously doubt this is true. Solving this problem is basically why BMI and ASCAP exist.

Where it gets tricky is that with a piece of music, there are at least 3 or 4 different elements that are separately copy written.

You have the basic tune, the specific arrangement, the physical layout and content of the sheet music, the basic copyright of a particular recording, and finally (and most relevant to your example), what are called the synch rights, which are the rights to use a song as a synchronized part of a larger work, like a movie or commercial.

[fencepost]

It's probably both - finding the holders for a lot of music is impossible, but by using BMI or ASCAP you may be able to shift the responsibility to do so to them in their role as PROs.

Not an area I keep up on, but this is interesting regarding how things worked in 2016 and possible recommended changes. https://www.copyright.gov/policy/pro-licensing.pdf Note that it's about Performing Rights Organizations not about Professionals. Of particular interest is the discussion of 100% licensing vs fractional licensing.

[TheHappyOddish]

These both appear to be American businesses serving American users. 95% of the worlds population don't live there. Both copyright laws and rights holders vary significantly around the world. This is far from a solved issue.