An issue that comes up more and more these days when hiring a speaker is that of “electronic transcription,” or simply put, making a recording of a presentation. Meeting planners and speakers both complain about this issue, and a big part of the problem is a lack of communication. Now, I am not an intellectual property lawyer; I am, however, a speaker, publisher, and former union musician. So here goes.

1. When asking for permission to record, be specific as to the scope of your use.
Back when I played in union orchestras, recordings were prohibited by default, but folks who hired us could always get permission to record a concert for no extra payment as long as it was only for “archival and study purposes” - or, in other words, for in-house use, and not to be broadcast or sold.