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Malachi
Guest
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 Posted:
Fri Nov 11, 2005 3:12 am Post subject:
Re: - Copyrighting your songs... best way? |
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"Jon J. Yeager" <nospam@thanks.com> wrote in message
news:4373b55c_2@x-privat.org...
| Quote: | "Malachi" <malachiLOSETHISTOREPLY@trentes.com> wrote in message
news:9XMcf.6204$Y61.1650@newssvr33.news.prodigy.com...
Can Canadians submit materials to the US Library of Congress, and if so,
what territories are covered in the protection this way? US only? US and
Canada? Or Universe?
Thanks.
I don't see why your nationality would prevent you from registering your |
copyright in the US.
You can even download the forms in .pdf format from the LOC website.
You will find everything you need to know here:
http://www.copyright.gov/
malachi
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Scott Dorsey
Guest
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| Posted:
Fri Nov 11, 2005 3:36 am Post subject:
Re: - Copyrighting your songs... best way? |
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In article <4373b55c_2@x-privat.org>, Jon J. Yeager <nospam@thanks.com> wrote:
| Quote: | "Malachi" <malachiLOSETHISTOREPLY@trentes.com> wrote in message
news:9XMcf.6204$Y61.1650@newssvr33.news.prodigy.com...
This question comes up periodically and never fails to draw all of the
lawyers/copyright authorities out of the woodwork. I won't repeat what
others have already explained very well above, but I will tell you that
once you send your submission to the US Library of Congress, be prepared
to wait the better part of a year before you get your official certificate
back in the mail.
But know that your copyright is considered registered from the moment it
is received by the LOC, not when they get around to sending you a snail
mail response. And you will be able to search your registration on line
and print confirmation of its receipt long before you get your certificate
in the mail.
Can Canadians submit materials to the US Library of Congress, and if so,
what territories are covered in the protection this way? US only? US and
Canada? Or Universe?
|
Since Canada also is a signatory to the Berne Convention, you should be
able to license it with the Canadian Intellectual Property Office in
Gatineau and get the same protection. I think for recordings you also
have to send a copy of the Library and Archives of Canada in Ottawa,
but you should check the CIPO web site to be sure.
Legally, you CAN register it with the US Library of Congress, but it will
be more trouble and won't give you any more protection.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis." |
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jaynews
Guest
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| Posted:
Fri Nov 11, 2005 4:22 am Post subject:
Re: - Copyrighting your songs... best way? |
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<<Why not just properly register your copyright?>>
I'd imagine that the odds are HIGHLY in favor of copyright registration
being a waste of money for most aspiring songwriters. Probably in most
cases, the songwriter never makes any money off of the song, and nobody
steals the song either. Some banks offer a notary public service for free.
I'm thinking that getting a Notary Public to notarize a lead sheet and
Affidavit of Authorship for FREE would protect one's work and would beat
the living heck out of flushing $30 down the toilet (which is what the
majority of aspiring songwriters likely are doing). |
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Scott Dorsey
Guest
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| Posted:
Fri Nov 11, 2005 4:26 am Post subject:
Re: - Copyrighting your songs... best way? |
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In article <6LPcf.9431$SV1.2288@trndny01>, jaynews <jaynews@verizon.net> wrote:
| Quote: | Why not just properly register your copyright?
I'd imagine that the odds are HIGHLY in favor of copyright registration
being a waste of money for most aspiring songwriters. Probably in most
cases, the songwriter never makes any money off of the song, and nobody
steals the song either. Some banks offer a notary public service for free.
I'm thinking that getting a Notary Public to notarize a lead sheet and
Affidavit of Authorship for FREE would protect one's work and would beat
the living heck out of flushing $30 down the toilet (which is what the
majority of aspiring songwriters likely are doing).
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I believe that there is a procedure where you can copyright a large
number of works and only pay one fee for registration. So if you can
write one song or a hundred, you pay the same fee.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis." |
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Wilbur Slice
Guest
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| Posted:
Fri Nov 11, 2005 4:42 am Post subject:
Re: - Copyrighting your songs... best way? |
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On 10 Nov 2005 17:26:52 -0500, kludge@panix.com (Scott Dorsey) wrote:
| Quote: | In article <6LPcf.9431$SV1.2288@trndny01>, jaynews <jaynews@verizon.net> wrote:
Why not just properly register your copyright?
I'd imagine that the odds are HIGHLY in favor of copyright registration
being a waste of money for most aspiring songwriters. Probably in most
cases, the songwriter never makes any money off of the song, and nobody
steals the song either. Some banks offer a notary public service for free.
I'm thinking that getting a Notary Public to notarize a lead sheet and
Affidavit of Authorship for FREE would protect one's work and would beat
the living heck out of flushing $30 down the toilet (which is what the
majority of aspiring songwriters likely are doing).
I believe that there is a procedure where you can copyright a large
number of works and only pay one fee for registration. So if you can
write one song or a hundred, you pay the same fee.
--scott
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That's great if you write a hundred songs at a time.
But anyway, that's the form PA, IIRC, and it's really for an album,
basically. |
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Rick Ruskin
Guest
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| Posted:
Fri Nov 11, 2005 5:43 am Post subject:
Re: - Copyrighting your songs... best way? |
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On Thu, 10 Nov 2005 22:22:58 GMT, "jaynews" <jaynews@verizon.net>
wrote:
<snip> I'm thinking that getting a Notary Public to notarize a lead
sheet and
| Quote: | Affidavit of Authorship for FREE would protect one's work <snip
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And you would be dead wrong.
Rick Ruskin
Lion Dog Music - Seattle WA
http://liondogmusic.com |
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Seth Jackson
Guest
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| Posted:
Fri Nov 11, 2005 5:43 am Post subject:
Re: - Copyrighting your songs... best way? |
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On Thu, 10 Nov 2005 20:16:54 GMT, "jaynews" <jaynews@verizon.net>
wrote:
| Quote: | Better "poor man's copyright" idea:
Print out a lead sheet (that includes chords, melody, and lyrics) along with
an affidavit of authorship and then signing all the pages in the presence of
a notary public and having the notary stamp all pages.
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Nope, that wouldn't work. All a notary does is verify a signature.
What would prevent me from notarizing a blank sheet of paper, and
then, 10 years later, printing out a lead sheet from a hit song I
didn't write? |
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Joe Kesselman
Guest
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| Posted:
Fri Nov 11, 2005 5:43 am Post subject:
Re: - Copyrighting your songs... best way? |
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See the Library of Congress's website. Under current law, all works are
copyrighted as of date of creation; no special action needed. However,
_registering_ your copyright provides formal proof that you created it
as of a specific date and thus makes protecting yourself against getting
ripped off much easier. |
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Guitarboy
Guest
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| Posted:
Fri Nov 11, 2005 5:43 am Post subject:
Re: - Copyrighting your songs... best way? |
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In article <I6GdnYaYoebXdO7eRVn-iQ@comcast.com>, Joe Kesselman
<keshlam-nospam@comcast.net> wrote:
| Quote: | See the Library of Congress's website. Under current law, all works are
copyrighted as of date of creation; no special action needed. However,
_registering_ your copyright provides formal proof that you created it
as of a specific date and thus makes protecting yourself against getting
ripped off much easier.
|
Exactly. And in fact, the only thing a registered copyright gets you is
your legal fees are paid back as part of the settlement if you win. If
you don't register BEFORE the infringement occurs, all bets are off to
getting your legal fees reimbursed if you win.
This guy obviously had a bogus claim, If he could have proven that
somehow Brittney had heard the song before she wrote hers, and that
the song was in fact copied (they use musicologists for this) it
wouldn't have mattered when the song was registered.
Anyone can take any song and register it. YOu need additional proof
that you wrote. it. Best way to protect un published matterial that you
are sending out includes keeping any exchanges with the label or artist
involving submition of songs or proof that you mailed it to the party
in question. This is why labels do not accept un solicited songs. It's
too easy for someone to send something, a song comes out that's similar
years later, and they can claim a copyright infringement. |
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Ben Bradley
Guest
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| Posted:
Fri Nov 11, 2005 5:43 am Post subject:
Re: - Copyrighting your songs... best way? |
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In rec.audio.pro and rec.music.makers.songwriting, On Thu, 10 Nov 2005
22:00:23 +0000 (UTC), "Lynn" <lynnmonkVIRUSFREE@btclick.com> wrote:
| Quote: | It's so ironic to see this argument come up again only a couple of weeks
after almost everyone here dismissed my campaign.
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I thought this comes up every few weeks regardless...
| Quote: |
My idea is the ONLY thing that would stop this from happening!
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Nah, there's also Global Thermonuclear War...
| Quote: | http://www.ipetitions.com/campaigns/Copyrights
A full explanation can be found on my website www.wobblymusic.net. Skip down
to about 2/3 of the way through the article if you don't want to hear my
rantings.
:o)
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You should have said that before! I got bogged down in all the
stuff about how major labels are brainwashing teenagers... |
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Paul Stamler
Guest
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| Posted:
Fri Nov 11, 2005 5:43 am Post subject:
Re: - Copyrighting your songs... best way? |
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"Malachi" <malachiLOSETHISTOREPLY@trentes.com> wrote in message
news:9XMcf.6204$Y61.1650@newssvr33.news.prodigy.com...
| Quote: | This question comes up periodically and never fails to draw all of the
lawyers/copyright authorities out of the woodwork. I won't repeat what
others have already explained very well above, but I will tell you that
once
you send your submission to the US Library of Congress, be prepared to
wait
the better part of a year before you get your official certificate back in
the mail.
|
It's more like 6-8 weeks in my experience. (Most recent registration: June
2004.)
Peace,
Paul |
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Paul Stamler
Guest
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| Posted:
Fri Nov 11, 2005 5:43 am Post subject:
Re: - Copyrighting your songs... best way? |
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"Scott Dorsey" <kludge@panix.com> wrote in message
news:dl0hfc$rkk$1@panix2.panix.com...
| Quote: | In article <6LPcf.9431$SV1.2288@trndny01>, jaynews <jaynews@verizon.net
wrote:
Why not just properly register your copyright?
I'd imagine that the odds are HIGHLY in favor of copyright registration
being a waste of money for most aspiring songwriters. Probably in most
cases, the songwriter never makes any money off of the song, and nobody
steals the song either. Some banks offer a notary public service for
free.
I'm thinking that getting a Notary Public to notarize a lead sheet and
Affidavit of Authorship for FREE would protect one's work and would beat
the living heck out of flushing $30 down the toilet (which is what the
majority of aspiring songwriters likely are doing).
I believe that there is a procedure where you can copyright a large
number of works and only pay one fee for registration. So if you can
write one song or a hundred, you pay the same fee.
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Quite correct -- you call the work "Song Folio 101" or some such, and
everything in it now has its copyright registered. Much cheaper. But now the
individual song titles will not show up in a search of the LoC database,
just "Song Folio 101". That may not be important to a particular individual,
in which case this is a good road to go.
Those of us who write one tune every five years, however, usually opt for
the one-at-a-time method.
Peace,
Paul |
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jaynews
Guest
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| Posted:
Sat Nov 12, 2005 12:06 am Post subject:
How about this....www.protectmywork.com |
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This is a service that will serve as an independent witness to protect your
copyright. "Only $35 p.a. membership & $1.85 per submission thereafter"
http://www.protectmywork.com/index.php?country=usa
J. |
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Gregor
Guest
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| Posted:
Sat Nov 12, 2005 12:16 am Post subject:
Re: - Copyrighting your songs... best way? |
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Michael J. Anthony wrote:
| Quote: | In article <43738d07$1_2@x-privat.org>, nospam@thanks.com says...
I write songs that are so bad that no one would steal them.
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You got a lyric there. Run with it! ;-)
gregor |
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Malcolm Dew-Jones
Guest
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| Posted:
Sat Nov 12, 2005 12:17 am Post subject:
Re: - Copyrighting your songs... best way? |
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Mike Rivers (mrivers@d-and-d.com) wrote:
: Jon J. Yeager wrote:
: > The complaint acknowledged Wallace did not formally copyright his song until
: > 2003. A few weeks after writing it in 1990, he executed what's commonly
: > known as a "poor man's" copyright in which he placed his work in a sealed
: > envelope and obtained a postmark.
: >
: > Meanwhile, Spears, obtained a U.S. copyright for "Sometimes" on Jan. 22,
: > 1999.
: The same song? Where did she get it? Did she claim to have written it,
: or did she simply obtain a copyright because nobody else had done so
: (properly) at the time?
She can't "obtain a copyright" to someone else's song, she can only
"steal" the song.
However, a key issue is the assumption that she stole anything.
Her songs are pretty bland, from what little I've heard. There are
thousands upon thousands of bland slightly melodic songs hanging around
that all sound very much the same as each other. They all sound vaguely
similar to one old hymn or nursery ryhme or half forgotten minor hit or
another.
Anyone can sue anyone else for anything. Sueing doesn't prove anything.
In this case the Judge simply tossed the case out.
So far I haven't seen anything to think that she stole anything at all. |
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