Transposing a blend of the Orchestra version of Passion mixed with the standard one for high school concert band performance. (Yes, all the parts)



I'm running into a problem: The license to play it. (Note: The concert is for non-profit, no tickets to get in or anything of the kind)



Since Toshiba-Emi (Japanese) Company holds the copyright for "Passion" and not "Sanctuary", I'd have to get permission from them to perform, right?


The problem is how. :\
Their main website is in entirely Japanese and even with a webpage translator, I can't seem to find any form of "Contact Us" or "Copyright Use Policy" of any kind at all.


Think I should go ahead and perform it without a license since they're a Japanese based music corporation and can't get me from here? (U.S)



Any suggestions/rants?

Think I should go ahead and perform it without a license since they're a Japanese based music corporation and can't get me from here? (U.S)

Yes. I don't see how they could possibly find out if you do a non-profit concert that uses one of their pieces. Do they scan school webpages on up-coming band concerts to see if someone plans on playing their music without permission? I highly doubt it. The fact is, any corporation that would sue a school in another country over this sort of thing needs to get over itself. You're not doing anything wrong and they really have no basis for bullying you over the program of a high school band.

You could try contacting the US branch of a related company (Toshiba has to have a US branch; you could also try Square-Enix) and explain your situation to them, and they would probably give you much sounder advice than any of us could...

Toshiba is the electronics core of Toshiba-EMI, so they have absolutely nothing to do with the records and publishing of music; EMI is the half that manages it.

Toshima-Emi, from what I found out, is in a treaty agreement with the U.S, International Copyright, one of the "Big Four" record labels around the world; parent company, EMI, which is even less help because the form of contact they accept is MAIL, which is critically insane at this moment in time. (The Concert is within three weeks. EMI is based in The UK)


Technically, EMI can persecute me if they find me performing Passion here in the U.S due to that damn law; and I doubt my music director will agree to play it knowing the chance of being caught.:think: