Copyright is defined as "the exclusive right to make copies, license, and otherwise exploit a literary, musical, or artistic work, whether printed, audio, video, etc.""Copyright." Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com, n.d. Web. 13 Dec. 2017. It is imperative because copyright is what dictates where credit and monetary awards should be allocated. While ethnomusicologists conduct fieldwork, they often must interact with the indigenous people since the purpose of being in a particular country is to collect information to make conclusions. Such researchers typically leave their countries of interest with data that include interviews, videos, and text, along with multiple other sources of value. Rights surrounding music ownership are thus often left to ethics, and cultural differences have produced complex legal traditions worldwide surrounding music ownership and heritage protection, including for instance in ChinaLi, Juqian (2022). China's Legal Framework for Supporting Protection and Sustainability of Artistic Heritage. In David G. Hebert and Jonathan McCollum, (Eds.), "Ethnomusicology and Cultural Diplomacy". Lexington Books (Rowman & Littlefield), pp.297-311. and India.Choudhary, Karan (2022). Cultural Heritage and Music Diplomacy: The Legal Framework in India. In David G. Hebert and Jonathan McCollum, (Eds.), "Ethnomusicology and Cultural Diplomacy". Lexington Books (Rowman & Littlefield), pp.277-295.
