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I use LegalZoom myself. It saves a bundle of
money on legal services and you don't have to give
your hard earned dough to the Middleman
(LAWYER) I used it to trademark my band name and
also to copyright my body of work (SONGS) It is
definitely worth a look. Please just click on the link
above. It will take you straight to LegalZoom with no
baloney.
It doesn't cost you a dime to go through me and I
make a couple bucks courtesy of LegalZoom.
money on legal services and you don't have to give
your hard earned dough to the Middleman
(LAWYER) I used it to trademark my band name and
also to copyright my body of work (SONGS) It is
definitely worth a look. Please just click on the link
above. It will take you straight to LegalZoom with no
baloney.
It doesn't cost you a dime to go through me and I
make a couple bucks courtesy of LegalZoom.
Thank You!
Thinking about how sweet it is to have my
music protected by copyright at such a
reasonable price!
music protected by copyright at such a
reasonable price!
With this tutorial, I hope to give musicians out there some basics about how
copyrighting works. Please keep in mind that I am American and that I am
speaking about how copyright laws work in the USA. Knowing these facts
and more is very important for those who are writing their own music...
First, let's start with a basic overview of what copyright is. The act of
copyrighting is claiming steak over your intellectual property. This can apply
to a variety of things including music, print, and anything else that is
considered intellectual property. As songwriters, copyrighting is very
important to us because it is all that we have...If we don't have ownership
over the work that we have created, there isn't anything else left for us to
claim. For the purposes of this tutorial, I will only be focusing on copyright
as it relates to music.
The second that you fix your song in tangible form, meaning when you write
down or record your music and/or lyrics, your work has technically been
copyrighted. It is a common misconception that you must some how get
your work copyrighted in some other form. All that needs to be done to for
you to some how get the idea in your head into some sort of tangible form.
For me, the easiest way to do this simply by recording my idea, but simply
writing the music out is valid as well. However, please keep in mind that you
cannot copyright a chord progression and that you must have a unique
idea. In the next section, I'll talk a little bit about registering your copyright...
While you have technically copyrighted your work as soon as you hit the
record button and save your song, registering your work is almost a
necessity for those who are planning to truly steak claim of their works. In
the US, the Library of Congress would be where you would register your
work, which can be done in a variety of ways. It can be done both through
the mail and can now be done online as well. There is a fee for each work
you register, but I usually just register a whole album on a single form to
save money, although you can't claim as much money were you to have go
to court. In other countries I'm sure that there is a similar system, but I would
encourage you to check it out for yourself to see how your government
does this.
While this isn't related directly to copyright, another issue in the same vein
is the registering your work with a performance rights organization.
Companies like ASCAP, BMI, and SESEC will collect royalties your behalf
every time your song is performed in some sort of medium. This is a
process that should be done around the same time that you are registering
your works, as I like to get it all out of the way at once and be done with it...
Copyrighting is not something that should be overlooked. While a lot
musicians and songwriters will neglect to do this, it is very important
because you never know when a disagreement of ownership could happen.
If you take care of your business and register your works and have your
proof in order, you'll be a lot better off in my opinion, especially for those of
us making a living at music. The more that you can build up your catalog,
the better off you will be in terms of publishing and it is absolutely crucial
that you take the proper steps to secure your works.
Since this tutorial is from the point of view from someone in the US, please
do some research about your country's copyright laws as they can differ
and it is important to know how things are done in your nation...
down or record your music and/or lyrics, your work has technically been
copyrighted. It is a common misconception that you must some how get
your work copyrighted in some other form. All that needs to be done to for
you to some how get the idea in your head into some sort of tangible form.
For me, the easiest way to do this simply by recording my idea, but simply
writing the music out is valid as well. However, please keep in mind that you
cannot copyright a chord progression and that you must have a unique
idea. In the next section, I'll talk a little bit about registering your copyright...
While you have technically copyrighted your work as soon as you hit the
record button and save your song, registering your work is almost a
necessity for those who are planning to truly steak claim of their works. In
the US, the Library of Congress would be where you would register your
work, which can be done in a variety of ways. It can be done both through
the mail and can now be done online as well. There is a fee for each work
you register, but I usually just register a whole album on a single form to
save money, although you can't claim as much money were you to have go
to court. In other countries I'm sure that there is a similar system, but I would
encourage you to check it out for yourself to see how your government
does this.
While this isn't related directly to copyright, another issue in the same vein
is the registering your work with a performance rights organization.
Companies like ASCAP, BMI, and SESEC will collect royalties your behalf
every time your song is performed in some sort of medium. This is a
process that should be done around the same time that you are registering
your works, as I like to get it all out of the way at once and be done with it...
Copyrighting is not something that should be overlooked. While a lot
musicians and songwriters will neglect to do this, it is very important
because you never know when a disagreement of ownership could happen.
If you take care of your business and register your works and have your
proof in order, you'll be a lot better off in my opinion, especially for those of
us making a living at music. The more that you can build up your catalog,
the better off you will be in terms of publishing and it is absolutely crucial
that you take the proper steps to secure your works.
Since this tutorial is from the point of view from someone in the US, please
do some research about your country's copyright laws as they can differ
and it is important to know how things are done in your nation...
LegalZoom is America’s leading online legal document
preparation service. From incorporations to last wills, LegalZoom
makes it easy and affordable to take care of a variety of common
legal matters. LegalZoom has been recognized and applauded by
Yahoo!, USAToday, Popular Science, NBC, ABC, CBS, PBS, the
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(for a simple Living Will) and $369 USD (for an express LLC
filing). Millions of Americans are in need of legal services, and
LegalZoom has already have served over 700,000 satisfied
customers.
preparation service. From incorporations to last wills, LegalZoom
makes it easy and affordable to take care of a variety of common
legal matters. LegalZoom has been recognized and applauded by
Yahoo!, USAToday, Popular Science, NBC, ABC, CBS, PBS, the
New York Times, and more. Wills, Divorces, Incorporations,
Trademarks, LLCs, Living Trusts, and other legal documents and
filings have never been easier! Basic fees range from $39 USD
(for a simple Living Will) and $369 USD (for an express LLC
filing). Millions of Americans are in need of legal services, and
LegalZoom has already have served over 700,000 satisfied
customers.
Copyrighting for Musicians
Written by Mike Post. www.mikepostmusic.com
Written by Mike Post. www.mikepostmusic.com