Copyright
If you are a musician or songwriter, the copyright law affects your craft, so it is
important to have a basic understanding of it.
The term "copyright" really means that the creator has the right to copy. If an
artist writes an original song, that artist is the owner of the copyright. As it
pertains to artists in general, the copyright law basically grants the creator
the right to (1) reproduce (e.g., make copies), (2) distribute (e.g., sell copies)
and (3) perform (e.g., play the song live).
Once the song is in a tangible form (i.e., written), the artist should take steps
to protect the work. In essence, an artist needs to prove the date of creation.
Actually, under the present copyright law, a work is copyrighted once it is
written or recorded. However, it is best to have proof of creation. The best
method is to obtain a registration form from - and register the copyright with
- the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. To request the free registration
form, the mailing address is: Register of Copyrights, Copyright Office, Library
of Congress, Washington, D.C. 20559. The fee is $30.00 per song. Another
less sound technique is known as the "poor man's copyright", which consists
of the artist simply enclosing a copy of the song in an envelope and sending
it to the artist certified mail. The envelope should not be opened or it
will spoil the purpose of securing the date.
It is also important to put the proper copyright notice on songs and recordings that
are presented to the public, such as a demo. The copyright notice for songs and
sound recordings must include three elements: the symbol © (for lyric sheet or sheet
music) or _ (for tapes, records, CDs), the year of publication and the name of the
copyright owner.
A song can be a valuable commodity. It is imperative that any artist who wishes to be
taken seriously - and not be ripped-off - do the things described above as a form of
protection.
Copyright 1998, Ben McLane
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