Copyright process

[keethapple]

Howdy,

I am ready to copyright my next album which contains 14 tracks. In the past I have used Library of Congress Form SR using the album's title as the title of the work and then also submitted Form CON (a "continuation" form) so that I could include all of the individual track titles in the copyright registration.

As of June 20, 2012 the continuation form has been discontinued!

How do you handle copyrighting your work? Do you submit a form SR for each track on the album ($35-65 per application). Or just a single SR form? Is there any other way folks are doing this?

I am aware of how copyrighting works and that some people believe it is unnecessary to register with the Library of Congress. I'm personally not interested in debating this topic here...just looking for thoughts about the LOC process.


Thanks,

K!

[Casey H]

I'd contact the Library Of Congress and ask. To the best of my knowledge, you should be able to copyright a collection of works on an SR form and their processes support that.

Give them a call and ask how to do it if the Continuation form doesn't exist anymore.

Good luck! Let us know what they say!!

Casey

[mikeymike2000]

Hi K,

Hope you have an answer by now!! but if not, you can do it all electronically now. Sounds like you may have been sending things in the mail...

Anyway, when you get to the page on the site (that only operates in Internet Explorer) when registering a new claim the "Title Type" sub category "title of work being registered" will the album name and then the "Title Type / contents title" will be the individual song names.

Sounds like you already know that you can put as many songs on the album in a single $35 claim fee provided that you own 100% of the work, or that you and whomever share equally in the work(s) in question. If you have a song that you did 100% and another song that someone else helped on the same album you can not register them on the same claim unless you give them equal share in EVERYTHING. If you have any Q's feel free to write, I spent 45 minutes on the phone with a Library of Congress rep to understand my last comment.

If you do not have a physical CD or tape that was printed and distributed publicly (a home burn is not sufficient) you should mark in the notes "Digital download only" or it may get rejected if the officer actually checks to see if the work was published.

PS: Very important!! You will want to MAKE SURE you click ALL the boxes that apply. "Music" "Production" "Sound Recording" if you did the composing and recording otherwise you will have to file a new claim. If you composed the "music" and only register the "sound recording" you are not taking credit for your composition.

[keethapple]

Thanks for your messages fellas!

I thought I replied to this string, but now I see it didn't post.....

I did write the LOC and was told that the continuation form was not discontinued. They did update it though, and here is the link where it currently lives: http://www.copyright.gov/forms/formcon.pdf

I submitted via paper, but will check out your suggestion Mike next time. At the time it was unclear to me, without making a phone call, whether I could submit a continuation form electronically.

Thanks for chiming in. I appreciate it.


Keeth!