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Hello, JT Newbie here. I am confused as to how cavalier the handling of copyright protection is here. Mr Lasko called me directly and tried to explain that its a very loose area here. I'm afraid I did not absorb his info well enough. Can anyone speak to that topic. Do you bother to PA / SR your work?

I don't really understand your question. Are you asking what is necessary to create copyright?

Honestly, I haven't officially copywritten anything through the Library of Congress since 2011... About 1,700 pieces of music ago... I'm not in the least bit concerned about that either, although I may be an anomaly. Though most people (and keep in mind that use of the word "most" is by no means backed up by statistics or studies) who make 1-3 pieces of music daily and churn out tracks for immediate client demands have no time to copyright anything. The Library of Congress' copyright process, by it's very nature, takes too long to protect pieces of music which need to be sent out the door within hours of completion.

So I just don't worry about it. Nothing bad has happened to me yet. **Knock on wood**

~~Matt

I'm with Matt, I never register anything with with the copyright office. Technically as soon as you create it it's copywritten, registering it is just extra protection. When you're churning out dozens and hundreds of pieces of music per year who has the time and the bandwidth to register (and pay for) every single piece?

If you're a songwriter for huge stars or you land giant ad placements maybe it's another story but that's not me.

JT, I am positive there is a misunderstanding. I would say Taxi takes copyrights very seriously, and wouldn't describe it as "cavalier"
at all. Violate a copyright and suffer the consequences.

I agree with Matt!

There's no requirement that you have your pieces copyrighted that I am aware for submission. It's very unlikely that anyone will steal your songs. Certainly anyone in the business that gets that reputation is finished.

On the practical side, it can be argued about the financial feasibility. That's probably why most cases are settled out of court. For example, if you copyrighted a song, I steal it, if I don't make much money on your song, how much are you willing to spend to bring the case to court, and if you win, will it cover your costs, or will you ever collect from me? Though in real life, no one outright steals so obviously, and usually it's a song that is popular and a huge money maker. I can see where that might be taken as a cavalier attitude. I can also understand that if anyone appears to have violated a copyright, on say a forum, that that person's copyright violation would be deleted, and how that person would be banned from the forum forever, not so cavalier.

Also, if your piece is used in a film, tv program, or advertisement, and you really trust that those entities aren't out to steal your music, those end uses are copyrighted.

Don't forget that everything you write is instantly copyrighted as soon as you put it in a tangible form. When you register a PA/SR, you are registering a date for the (c).

ditto above comments.

Was good to read this thread and helped put newbie here at ease. This should go on FAQ and be formalised to all new taxi members

JT,

I didn't indicate it was "loose." I told you:

1) If you're writing songs you intend to pitch to big artists, you should absolutley register the copyrights.

2) My observation is that many of our most successful film/TV instrumental members often don't register their copyrights on relatively short instrumental cues.

3) It's not that our members are cavalier about registering copyrights. They're just not that worried that somebody is going to steal their 90 second Hip Hop instrumental cue. They're probably more worried that it doesn't make it on to a cue sheet.

4) When you have a private conversation with somebody who is going out of his/her way to try and help you, don't publicly mischaracterize (is that a word?) what that helpful person said during that private conversation.

thx,
Michael "Lasko"