[georgeo]

i'll post this here, cause i think its the appropriate place. feel free to stone me and move the thread if i'm wrong.

i wrote a song, and its not that i think or want to get rich off it or anything, its just that i want to make sure the rights for the song belong to me, so i can always play it without having to pay money or something.

what can i do to prove that i wrote this song (not that i anticipate the world to want to steal this song or anything)?

i heard that printing out all the music for it and mailing it to yourself certified and then not opening it works...

any tips?

[Samwise]

..why don't you just get it copyrighted? It doesn't cost much or anything

[georgeo]

Originally posted by Samwise
..why don't you just get it copyrighted? It doesn't cost much or anything

i guess i'm kinda asking how then...

[Danny]

Being a mod of this forum, I'd be happy to tell you!













































. . .But I have no clue. I think I've heard someone say that as soon as the writing is on the paper, it's copyrighted. I'll let Nate get back to you on it.

[georgeo]

Originally posted by N1ghthawk

i'll do that.

[Nate]

Originally posted by georgeo
i'll post this here, cause i think its the appropriate place. feel free to stone me and move the thread if i'm wrong.

This is the perfect place for it! Thanks for adding some traffic to this great new forum!!

i wrote a song, and its not that i think or want to get rich off it or anything, its just that i want to make sure the rights for the song belong to me, so i can always play it without having to pay money or something.

Well... legally, the moment the song is "fixed" in "any tangible medium of expression" (i.e. written down on paper, with chords or sheet music), then you (as the author) own the rights to the song.

But... practicallly, you can't really prove when, or if, you even wrote the song.

This is where copyright registration comes in.... read on:

what can i do to prove that i wrote this song (not that i anticipate the world to want to steal this song or anything)?

You can file an official copyright registration with the Library of Congress. Basically, you fill out a short form that describes the music, lists the author(s), and provides some basic logistical information... then you put the form, a copy of the "fixed" music (a CD, a lead sheet, some sheet music, whatever), and also a $30 fee in an envelope and mail it to the Library of Congress.

Here's the Copyright Office's page on registration:

http://www.copyright.gov/register/performing.html

(please note that the "Performing Arts" copyright registration that I linked you to covers the song itself and not any recording thereof... even if you send in a CD recording of the song with your forms. This is usually the type of copyright you want as a writer... however, if you want to register the copyright for the recording as well, you need to go here: http://www.copyright.gov/register/sound.html )

i heard that printing out all the music for it and mailing it to yourself certified and then not opening it works...

Nope. Sorry. This won't work. For one thing, anybody can buy a Pitney-Bowes whatchamacalliit and stick a postdate on any envelope they want, sealing whatever they want to inside. Also, it's not really that hard to open a blank self-addressed envelope... then stick the music inside (at any later date)... then glue the envelope shut again.

What this envelope method is intended to show is date of authorship (by the postmark)... but, as shown above, it doesn't really accomplish this.

I hope this has helped!

In His love,
Nate

[georgeo]

thanks nate, thats exactly what i needed to know.

[SupaNova]

I have a question to add, let's say that I had several songs that I wanted to copyright. Would I have to pay for each song seperately or could I send them all together as one package?

[Nate]

Originally posted by SupaNova
I have a question to add, let's say that I had several songs that I wanted to copyright. Would I have to pay for each song seperately or could I send them all together as one package?

You can send them all together as a "compilation" and pay just one fee for the whole compilation. There are a few guidelines for registering compilations, and I don't remember all of them off the top of my head... I think a few of them are as follows:

1) The songs in the compilation must not be part of another compilation.

2) The compilation itself must have a name.

3) All the parts of the compilation must be fixed in ONE copy (i.e. on one CD, not spread across two or three CDs... or in one songbook, not spread across a bunch of songbooks and lead sheets).

Hope this helps!

I think the copyright website gives further information regarding the registration of compilations.

In His love,
Nate

[Sean]

Ahhhhh more proof that Nate hates me. I was reading this thread thinking how I was going to put my knowledge I learned from my Survey of the Music Business class to work and then Nate steals all my thunder. Not only does he steal my thunder but he covers every question asked with my exact answer. Thanks Nate. Thanks for nothing.

[Nate]

[IAmCrossEyed]

I don't know if there has been a thread about this specifically, so I thought I would tack my question onto this one...


What about an entire project? If I am writing my own songs, and doing a cd that is ten tracks long, am I paying $300 to have it copyrighted? That is a whole lot of money for an independant college student artist to be throwing around.

[Nate]

Originally posted by IAmCrossEyed
I don't know if there has been a thread about this specifically, so I thought I would tack my question onto this one...


What about an entire project? If I am writing my own songs, and doing a cd that is ten tracks long, am I paying $300 to have it copyrighted? That is a whole lot of money for an independant college student artist to be throwing around.

Look up about three or four posts.

In His love,
Nate

[IAmCrossEyed]

Ooh wow! My fault!!! :knope:

[Nate]

It's all good.

In His love,
Nate