vinyl and legality

[WhiteOpus]

Hey guys,
I know a similar question was posted on the forum a few weeks ago, but I can't for the life of me find it. I have a scene in which we see the character going through a crate of records, pulling a few out here and there. I want to show the record covers (with actual bands like The Beatles or Dolly Parton), but I'm unsure of the legality of showing copyrighted material in my film.
I plan on having him choose and play one of the records. The record he chooses to play won't be any of the copyrighted ones in question; I will purposefully pick one that is already in public domain. So the copyrighted materials will only be seen (the albums' art and band names), not played. The film will only be distributed online for free, but may be screened at some small festivals next year.

Will it be okay to proceed with this plan or am I going to hit legal snags once it's distributed?

 

[Gonzo_Entertainment]

If you ever had a chance at distribution then specific copyrighted albums will almost certainly be an issue. For just giving it away on youtube, you're probably fine. I actually had a graphic designer design some covers and recorded the music for the records for my film The Island.

 

[WhiteOpus]

If you ever had a chance at distribution then specific copyrighted albums will almost certainly be an issue. For just giving it away on youtube, you're probably fine. I actually had a graphic designer design some covers and recorded the music for the records for my film The Island.

oh cool, yeah i think we're going to be recording some original songs for the vinyl the character ends up picking out and playing (which becomes the soundtrack for the scene).

 

[harmonica44]

Do the records have to be shown? You could have a character look at the record, from angle where you cannot see them, and just have the character say the name of the fictitious band. Or you can show the cover, but have it be out of focus, and only have the actor's face in focus when he/she is looking at it. If you have lenses that can do that, that is.

 

[WhiteOpus]

Do the records have to be shown? You could have a character look at the record, from angle where you cannot see them, and just have the character say the name of the fictitious band. Or you can show the cover, but have it be out of focus, and only have the actor's face in focus when he/she is looking at it. If you have lenses that can do that, that is.

the album covers need to be shown because i want to show masculine and feminine sides of the character which becomes very important later down the line because the story has to do with multiple personalities.