copyright

[finger]

my band has recently been working on our first recording. we were wondering what form to fill out to copyright the music. we dont want the package or anything copyrighted just the music.

http://www.loc.gov/copyright/forms/

thanks for the help! :)

[Scheming Demon]

Technically speaking, as soon as you create an original song or composition it is copyrighted and you own it.

What you're actually referring to is "registering" your copyright with the copyright office. If memory serves it is Form SR (sound recording) that you need to fill out. There's a small fee $15 or $20. Instructions come with the form, it's fairly straightforward to fill out.

[EngineGuitarist]

actually, in the US it isn't copyrighted as soon as you created it. this is the case in the UK, but not the US. In fact if you are a UK artist and you don't copyright your work in the US then if you send your demo to someone in the US they can steal it and you can't do shit. its happened plenty of times. As for the forms, the SR form protects your sound recording. this means if you re-record it you'll need to fill in another form. the form you really need is the PA form. this protects your song, not the recording.you only fill it in once the song is completely written. the say send documentation of it, but if you can't read/write music they'll accept a tape that gets across the main parts of the song, which is whats important. if someone rips off your chorus, this is the form that will protect you.

[finger]

yes that helped a lot thanks! one thing though i was reading into the performing arts one cuz it sounds more of what we want. here http://www.copyright.gov/register/pa-deposit-music.html it made it sound like we didnt necessarily need sheet music and lyrics but that it could instead be a cd with the music and lyrics on it. like a normal recording that you'd listen to. is this true?

[EngineGuitarist]

yeah just send a CD with the song on it. and the sound quality doesn't matter, as long as the words and music are understandable. just inclose a lyric sheet, and write down the chords.

[6am eternal]

Engine, in the US it is copyrighted as soon as you record or write it too. From the library of congress' "copyrights basics":

Copyright is secured automatically when the work is created, and a work is "created" when it is fixed in a copy or phonorecord for the first time.

Also, form SR protects BOTH the song AND the sound recording, form PA protects ONLY the song, so it doesn't make any sense to use the form PA unless you don't have any sound recording. Read carefully all the notices of the library of congress, it's all in there.

Finger, yes, you can register your copyright with a CD. That's probably how 99.9% of modern music copyrights are registered!

[EngineGuitarist]

Originally posted by 6am eternal


Copyright is secured automatically when the work is created, and a work is "created" when it is fixed in a copy or phonorecord for the first time.


technically yes, but its pretty hard to prove it without registering it.

[BOOGNISH42]

why is it so hard to get a straight answer:
my band has recorded a cd of original songs, all songs credit is given to the same 2 people. which form protects both the recording and the song (intellectual rights?): SR or PA?

I know everyone is just trying to help but answers are always conflicting and the copyright site does not explain it very clearly. is an FAQ so difficult for them, even with a disclaimer?

[6am eternal]

SR. Download the form and read it through, it's all explained.

[6am eternal]

Boognish, I listened to International Orange and liked it. I just missed some vocals so went on to listen to recurring (IO). Wow! Cool vocals! Made me think of Sonic Youth. Very cool.

[LookB4ULeap]

Fill 'em Both out. It's the same price. Filing is $30 bucks now. Don't expect to see anything for at least 6 months.:D

[agt5]

Can't you put a whole cd's worth of music in one form, and pay one 30 dollar fee?

[6am eternal]

Yes, you can. It is called form SR and protects "the sound recording and all the songs on it". It would be stupid to then protect the songs one by one with form PA when they are already protected by the form SR.

[Waggy]

so you can put like 15 of your own songs on a cd, fill out the form pay and send it in, and then all of those 15 songs are copyrighted, the same way as if you did one form for everysong? if so it is a lot cheaper to do it that way.

[6am eternal]

Waggy, that's correct. Go to http://www.loc.gov/copyright/forms/ and download the "form SR with instructions". Read the paragraph "Nature of authorship".

The only thing is that this will only work if the person claiming the sound recording and the music composition copyrights is the same. If you want the music copyright, and your producer wants the sound recording copyrights, then you'll have to use PA forms and your producer will use an SR form. of course, instead, you could just make a quick home recording of your collection of songs and fill out ONE form SR to register copyrights for all your songs.

[Waggy]

alright thanks, im pretty new to all of this but i understand it. I'll download the form and read that.