General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: According to your values, is illegally downloading a song, TV show, or movie immoral? [View all]Glassunion
(10,201 posts)Person A buys the license and listens to and enjoys the music. They then sell it (and retain no copies) to the music store. Person B then picks up the album for a few bucks. Basically Person A has sold their use rights to Person B.
Renting is the same thing, you are purchasing a temporary license to view the material. The holder of the copyright still has control over their exclusive rights. This would be covered under compulsory licensing where a copyright holder is compensated for the use.
What about cover bands or other music in general playing in a club? The club owner does (most do) pay royalties for performances of material that is covered under copyright. This is why businesses pay more per month for satellite radio than the average home user.