If you wish to copy music which is still in copyright, whether by means of photocopying or otherwise, you may only do so with the prior permission of the copyright owners, with certain limited exceptions. There are a number of reasons why it is important to respect the rights of copyright owners and to seek permission before copying music:
- An illegal copy deprives the composer of the music of the chance to earn income from his/her creative work;
- The publisher is deprived of the opportunity to recoup the investment made in the production of the printed edition;
- The publisher is unable to monitor the use and popularity of a particular edition.
Illicit Copying is a form of theft which damages composers and publishers. It discourages composers, who may be forced to look for other ways of earning a living. It deters publishers from investing in new writing talent and the production of printed music and it denies them information about the use of music which would guide further investment decisions. A publisher may allow a work to go out of print believing that there is a lack of demand for that particular work when the opposite may in fact be true.
Source: Music Publishers Association (https://mpaonline.org.uk/)