Question regarding brand names appearing in music videos...

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AleksZen

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Hey how's it going everyone, hope your all well?

I've got a question regarding brand names accidentally appearing in music videos and what's the deal with that?

I got a new music video which i'm planning a concept for and for one of the scenes the footage cuts between, me and the other artist are strolling through a famous shopping mall called 'Westfields' in London, UK (the track is something I produced called To The Top and the concept is about blowing up, making money etc etc..)

Now obviously in this case we'll inadvertently catch all sorts of brand names in the footage and if the video was to be a hit and go viral, and reach perhaps 50k - 100k (just supposing).. whats the law on that? Would I get in trouble with the respective companies, if they ever found out? Also bare in mind it's just an indie release!

Sorry if its a basic question but i'm actually not too sure..

Thanks for your time and help,

Al

---------- Post added at 05:39 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:37 PM ----------

PS. when I say catch brand names I mean like shop signs etc!

Cheers
 
AleksZen said:
Hey how's it going everyone, hope your all well?

I've got a question regarding brand names accidentally appearing in music videos and what's the deal with that?

I got a new music video which i'm planning a concept for and for one of the scenes the footage cuts between, me and the other artist are strolling through a famous shopping mall called 'Westfields' in London, UK (the track is something I produced called To The Top and the concept is about blowing up, making money etc etc..)

Now obviously in this case we'll inadvertently catch all sorts of brand names in the footage and if the video was to be a hit and go viral, and reach perhaps 50k - 100k (just supposing).. whats the law on that? Would I get in trouble with the respective companies, if they ever found out? Also bare in mind it's just an indie release!

Sorry if its a basic question but i'm actually not too sure..

Thanks for your time and help,

Al

---------- Post added at 05:39 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:37 PM ----------

PS. when I say catch brand names I mean like shop signs etc!

Cheers
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Im not to familiar with law in the uk. but lets say that was to happen in america. But showings brands in music videos is a form of product placement even if its not intentional. Those companies that own those brands can sue if they dont like the way there brand is being represented. But in your case of recording a video in the supermarket and your just walking thru the aisles and not interacting or drawing attention to the brands in a negative way then you shouldn't have anything to worry about.
 
essentially what russ has offered is the way to approach this - don't put the product in a bad light and the company is getting solid product placement and free advertising.

if you are concerned, just use your video editing sw to digitally remove labels/logos (apply a pixelation algorithm or some other form of obfuscation) on a frame by frame basis.

if you are seriously worried get a legal opinion from a solicitor (barristers handle cases in courts, they do not generally provide opinions)
 
The BBC policy against product placement forced Ray Davies of The Kinks to fly a 6,000 mile round trip just to change the "Coca-Cola" lyrics featured in the song Lola to "Cherry Cola" likewise the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's program Rage pixelated the Adidas logos featured on T-shirts in a NKOTB music video..... but if you ask me they didn't go far enough and should have also hit mute on that cheesy shit.
 
reminds of the olympics ban on product placement before the 80's only two brands I can think of managed to appear: addidas and slazenger and that was more to do with those two brands having cornered the market on equipment in track and field and ball sports
 
thanks for the help everyone, the responses were very useful! i think i'll go ahead with the original plan and if some legal issues arise, then its likely the video brought around the desired amount of attention anyway - in which case I could always just load it up again with the censors..

cheers,

Aleks
 
I heard somewhere that this happens in lyrics, too. Like when Kanye mentions Geico... I heard he got paid.
 
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