Members alhambra ave Posted April 10, 2009 Members Share Posted April 10, 2009 Hi, I've got some songs I want to protect and my brief look into how to do it is kind of confusing. For example, when I downloaded BMI's contract wording it is 8 pages of legalese that sorta looks like they have a lot of control over my stuff. It may be standard wording, but I thought I'd ask if anyone has suggestions on the best way to go about this to protect your music with a minimum of hassle. I'm not deluding myself that my material is golden, but my worry is I sign something with one of the companies and someone says "Oh no, you didn't do THAT did you???" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Stackabones Posted April 10, 2009 Members Share Posted April 10, 2009 Publishing won't necessarily protect your songs, but registering a copyright will. If you are in the US, just file online with the Copyright Office. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members alhambra ave Posted April 10, 2009 Author Members Share Posted April 10, 2009 Oh. I'll check that out. Thanks for the tip Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members NeverTheMachine Posted April 11, 2009 Members Share Posted April 11, 2009 copyright.gov ...... you copyright your songs, you can do it with electronically as well and I think it's $35. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Johnny-Boy Posted April 11, 2009 Members Share Posted April 11, 2009 Al... If you feel the necessity in copyrighting (actually registering) your work, the only method that will hold up in court is registering it with the "Library of Congress" - http://www.copyright.gov/ Most people in the Industry don't bother anymore. There are so many similarities in the millions of songs that have been written, that most songwriters will wait until an artist shows interest (by then it will be up to the publisher to register the song). Personally, I don't consider registering my work anymore (either do my publishers). Best, John:cool: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Johnny-Boy Posted April 11, 2009 Members Share Posted April 11, 2009 Maybe the only exception would be if it was for a killer, once in a lifetime, blow my socks off song. And then only if it is appealing to the masses and sounds like nothin' that ever existed. Then I might consider registering it. John:cool: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Stackabones Posted April 11, 2009 Members Share Posted April 11, 2009 Al...If you feel the necessity in copyrighting (actually registering) your work, the only method that will hold up in court is registering it with the "Library of Congress" - http://www.copyright.gov/ Most people in the Industry don't bother anymore. There are so many similarities in the millions of songs that have been written, that most songwriters will wait until an artist shows interest (by then it will be up to the publisher to register the song).Personally, I don't consider registering my work anymore (either do my publishers).Best, John:cool: I'd figured that's what was going on, but I hadn't really spoke to anyone about it. Why keep throwing money at copyright fees when no one is throwing money at your songs in the first place, right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BillT Posted April 11, 2009 Members Share Posted April 11, 2009 Hi,I've got some songs I want to protect and my brief look into how to do it is kind of confusing... Years ago (80's) copyrighting was the norm. Maybe not so much today with the internet. That said, a cheap way to register was to create a "volume of work" put it on media register as others have said. I used to create a tape (remember 80's...) with 10 songs on it. I'd call it "Collected works of BilT, Volume (n)" for one registration price. --Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members blue2blue Posted April 11, 2009 Members Share Posted April 11, 2009 If you do the collective work registration to save money -- and, obviously, copyrighting an album's worth of songs individually can get expensive -- it is worthwhile to submit an addendum to the initial filing for each song in the collective work, so that that individual work will be searchable. (This is second hand advice from an article on copyright issues in Electronic Musician. I have no idea, personally, why, if sued, one could not say, well, here, this song "May Wine" is registered here as part of "Drunk the Year Round." But, that's what the article said. Reader beware.) As we often find ourselves saying around here, the safest course is to register all your work. But for all the reasons cited (and then a couple more that may be debateable ) I simply post new songs as acoustic recordings to Archive.org and register them via Creative Commons as soon as the song goes public. (I did pop for a conventional registration with the USPCO for my first online distributed album, back in 200 or so, in part because I could do it online via the original Mp3.com. I believe it was done as a collective work. Not certain on the fine points. Can't even remember if there was a fee from the fine folks at Mp3.com. In those days they were rolling in so much IPO doubt they probably paid you to let them. That would soon change... ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members The Rand Man Posted April 14, 2009 Members Share Posted April 14, 2009 I've started doing mine online now, as others have mentioned, through copyright.gov. It's very easy. As long as you have a good high speed connection, you can upload an mp3 and be done quite quickly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members search now Posted April 14, 2009 Members Share Posted April 14, 2009 copyright dont matter publishing right do ,they got the publishing right they get the money. I think thats how it works but I dont know anything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members smallbutmighty Posted April 14, 2009 Members Share Posted April 14, 2009 A song is automatically copyrighted the instant it is affixed to some permanent medium - a CD, tape, computer file, or sheet music. The songwriter doesn't have to do a dang thing. However, owning the copyright and defending it are two different things. The reason you register a copyright with the US Government is so you can defend it if it is ever violated. Such law suits are total non-starters unless you have an official US copyright. When you "publish" a song, you are selling the copyright. If the song has never been copyrighted, it will happen at that time. There is usually a place in the contract for filling in the copyright number. I've had a few instances where the paperwork hasn't come back yet, and I've simply put "Pending" in the space, and that has been fine. sbm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mikeo Posted April 19, 2009 Members Share Posted April 19, 2009 Hi, I've got some songs I want to protect and my brief look into how to do it is kind of confusing. For example, when I downloaded BMI's contract wording it is 8 pages of legalese that sorta looks like they have a lot of control over my stuff. It may be standard wording, but I thought I'd ask if anyone has suggestions on the best way to go about this to protect your music with a minimum of hassle. I'm not deluding myself that my material is golden, but my worry is I sign something with one of the companies and someone says "Oh no, you didn't do THAT did you???" Copywrite. I'm an ASCAP member and unless you song is on the radio a lot you ain't gonna see a dime. Start your own (Make up) publishing company Title up the body of work list the songs send in a copy of the lyrics with a recording. here's the form www.danarobinson.com/Copyright_Form_SR.pdf $35.00 if you register online, $45.00 if you send in hard copy. I have always sent in a hard copy, and made a copy of the exact song cd, lyric sheets for my self. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mikeo Posted April 19, 2009 Members Share Posted April 19, 2009 copyright dont matter publishing right do ,they got the publishing right they get the money. I think thats how it works but I dont know anything. no, you are correct. The publishing company gets the money. some sonng writters don't get a dimne or have never gotten a dime for there work. usually if you sign with a publishing company, they spilt the money colllected 50/50, but not always. ASCAP/ BMI/ SESAC kinda keep track of this and then sendwho ever onws the songs a check. Ex: when the Beatles song gets played on the radio, Michael Jackson I believe actually own the Beatles catalog of tunes. Paul tried to buy em back at one time, but Jackson would not sell em. As friends and one time collaborators on a tune called Black and White there friendship was done. They're both moneys whores any way. Pauls got more cash than he could sped in a life time, but I ex wife's cost big time. Jackson piss away more cash on freaky kiddy rides and plastic surgery than anyone believd was humanly possible Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.