TAXI.com

They say to copyright your material before sending to a listing, Do you think you should wait until you get your critique then copyright your material?

There are many different views on this. Some say you "own" your song when its written.I personally like to know that my copyright is in place. Thats just me though. There are more experienced people on here that might have better opinions.M~

You own the copyright to your tune as soon as you record it or commit it to a particular medium. What you mean, I think, is do you have to REGISTER you song. If you are the next big thing on the verge of superstardom, it's probably not a bad idea. Me, I time stamp my recording and burn copies for myself before I send them out. That way, technically, I can prove I wrote it before the date that the tune was received by Taxi. Mewman

In Canada, your copyright is established from the moment you put your creation in a tangible form - record it, write it down, make a video of it, etc. However, your best protection of your final work is to register it when you've wrestled it into its final version

HiThere have been other threads on this subject.As pointed out, you own a copyright to your work as soon as you create it and record it in some manner.Owning your copyright and having the means to defend it in a legal action are two different things. For U.S. residents, registering a copyright with the U.S. Library of Congress provides the only acceptable evidence for use in a legal action. Historically, no other standard of proof has been accepted. Casey

Sept 15, 2008, 4:20pm, hurowitz wrote:Owning your copyright and having the means to defend it in a legal action are two different things. For U.S. residents, registering a copyright with the U.S. Library of Congress provides the only acceptable evidence for use in a legal action. Historically, no other standard of proof has been accepted. CaseyI would say this applies to Canada as well. I certainly register my work with the Library of Congress.

I talked with a US copyright attorney recently. He stated that your work is copy written when it is in a fixed form; however registering it gives you the right to sue for and recoup your attorney fees. Christi

Yep. That's pretty much the bottom line on that. So if someone wants to steal your work, you can have a chance to win the case. I said a chance on purpose.Having your work copyrighted does not automatically mean you will win a case if someone decides to try to steal your material. But it certainly puts you in a strong position of power. One of the best things to do is to keep good records of when your song was recorded by using software like Studio Track Tracker, Studio Buddy, or an Excel spreadsheet that details what you did and when you did it in creating the song. This way you have strong evidence that you own the music. Time stamping and the like also helps.Normally, registering is put off in case your song gets picked up by a publisher. It makes it easier for them if they actually want to use your song. Jude 2

I want to thank you all for your opinions. It has been very helpful and answered my question. Once again thanks....Bobby

Sept 16, 2008, 12:22pm, bobbyalan wrote:I want to thank you all for your opinions. It has been very helpful and answered my question. Once again thanks....BobbyEh...you say that now... Not a problem. What we're here for.Jude 2