COPY WRITE / Information needed

[jay10music]

HI GUY'S..........I really need to know about Copy Write..1) do u copy write your instrumental songs when u finish them?2) do u poor man copy write till u get a deal offered ?3) r u sending songs to Washington ?? PLEASE GIVE INFO ON THESE QUESTIONS.....Jay-man....

[zoom]

Poor man's copyright will get you so far, IMO.... and I don't think it's really all that important for the submission part of the taxi world anyway.But when it comes to getting forwards, you'll probably want to visit the copyright office online and check it out as Warren said. No, you do not have to have it published for it to work. And yes, it can be all done online with mp3s.http://www.copyright.gov/There's all sorts of info there bud. I'm no lawyer, so I think I should just shut up about it for the most part.... though there are two kinds of forms... one is for copyrighting the recording (the song as you played it), and one is for copyrighting the performance (meaning if someone wants to try to recreate it). Just make sure you know which is which and how they can affect you.I'm really just now wrapping my head around it -- so if someone else has suggestions here please let us all in!

[Casey H]

In the US, the "poor man's" copyright where you mail a copy to yourself will not hold up in the event of a real law suit. I'm told that in other countries like the UK, it's acceptable standard practice (but check with someone who lives there).Filing copyrights with the US copyright office is recommended. As mentioned, you can save a lot of money by copyrighting a group of songs as one collection-- you only pay one fee. Bear in mind, that the professionals listening to your music really aren't out to steal your material. However, it's good to be safe.If you have an actual master recording you are pitching for film/TV, you can use the SR form to copyright music, lyrics, and sound recording all at once. The same thing goes- you can do a collection for one fee. However, in any collection, the writers have to be the same for each track in the collection. So if you have a bunch of tracks with different co-writers, you do need separate forms and fees.HTH Casey

[davekershaw]

Quote: I'm told that in other countries like the UK, it's acceptable standard practice (but check with someone who lives there).I doubt it would hold up in court here either Casey.Trouble is, we don't have a copyright office like the US,so a lot of people do still use the poor man's method, in the hope that it will offer some kind of protection.It would be easy to mail yourself a bunch of unsealed envelopes, and then insert discs and seal them at any point in the future. A court, I believe, would pull that method to pieces.And while professionals listening to your music might not be out to steal it, posting it online opens it up to anyone, in any country, to pick and choose what they want to copy; even if it's just part of the melody.It is a difficult issue for amateurs.And Brad, one of my songs: "Knees up at the Palace" didn't get past the Royal screeners, so I wouldn't bother with ER. Dave.

[rld]

Aug 29, 2008, 1:45pm, taxi wrote:But the part I'm concerned with , is when the say in the listing about u owning the copy write.I f some one ever contacts me about a forwarded song and wants to do something with it,I better have sent it in..Never new about bundleing up all the CD'S and calling them like Volume (1) and sending them in with just $35.00 for all..I thought when I read the rules u couldn't do that...Guess I didn't read it write.So u's say...just bundle the whole bunch of instros and give um $35.00 register and get the reciept from Post Office and I'm all set...Some one reply to this statement please.....Much abliged....jay...I think you're still confused. You automatically own the copyright to your song when you create it.All you're doing is registering that copyright when you send it in like we are discussing here.When a listing co. ask about "owning the copyright" they aren't asking if you have registered them with the US Gov., they are asking if you own the copyright or have you signed it over to someone else.Follow the link that Zoom gave to the Gov. site and read up on it.

[Casey H]

Aug 29, 2008, 4:51pm, teashea wrote:Legally, as soon as your finish a song, you own the copyright for the song. The issue is proving that you wrote it. Registering it is one way of proving it - probably the more certain way. However, this proof can also be accomplished by other ways. Posting your songs on the internet is one way, if there is a permanent record of that posting that will be available when you need it. That is the problem. There is no specific limitation of the type of evidence that can be used - as long as it is accepted by the court as admissible. Registering the song at a PRO might also be worth investigating.TomGood discussion...It is true that as soon as you create something you own it's copyright. However, if being able to sue someone for copyright infringement (which isn't all that common) is your concern, in the U.S. there is NO substitute for filing with the U.S. Copyright Office. No other method will mean a thing in a court of law.So, ask yourself WHY are you doing this? That generally leads you to the answer as to what method to use. Casey

[Casey H]

Aug 29, 2008, 10:45pm, mojobone wrote:It remains to be seen whether copyright registration is really necessary; any form of publishing, including posting on the web, is likely to create enough of a paper trail to hold up in court, and broadcast WAV files are time and date stamped and IIRC, have the unique identifying code of the computer they were created on embedded in the file. Until there's a test case, there's no knowing if such an electronic paper trail will hold up in court, so for now, it's off to Washington for my tunes.One can easily make the argument that copyright registration may not be worth the money. For example, if you are sure you would never go to an attorney regarding possible infringement than there is probably no point. However, bear in mind that if you think there is an infringement, a lawyer's letter with a copy of the U.S. copyright registration could convince the other party to cease or make a settlement with you. So it's not always a matter of whether you would do an all out law suit... a few hundred dollars for the attorney letter might be worth it. ("might" is the big word)...I don't know anything about recent court decisions where anything other than a U.S. copyright was acceptable proof. I'm not at all up on that stuff-- we would need input from an entertainment attorney. What I do know is the U.S. Copyright is the best possible protection out there.Once again I know many artists who don't copyright their work simply because infringement isn't all that common, especially with respect to the publishers, libraries, and A&R folks we submit to. For me personally, I invest the money for protection. It comes down to what your concern is and what you would do if you thought someone was stealing your work.Casey

[hummingbird]

I have spoken to a lawyer about it, and he said, very distinctly and clearly: "REGISTER THE DAMN SONGS"

[davekershaw]

Quote:hell, george harrison got clobbered for My Sweet Lord, though i still can't hear that much of a "steal" of the motown hit (don't remember the name, sorry...) he supposedly stole. but he paid his bucks.I always thought he did them a favour!

[jay10music]

WELL AFTER THIS BEE NEST WE OPENED....... I SAY ...Very well said VIK..... I think I have learned a lot from this post and I thank u for all your inputs....I like these kinds of discussions, there very interesting to read...... Thanks Again Road man........