Need Suggestions on music copyrighting?

geminitrading · 01-16-09, 06:07 AM

Hi Billysteve,
I can tell you how I copyrighted a short article I wrote a while ago (this may or may not help you with regards to music) and I'm in the UK.

I printed my article, placed it in a sealed, self-addressed envelope, went to my local Post Office and got them to stick their official printed out 'stamp' on it, got a 'proof of posting' and let them deliver it to my home.

Keep the unopened envelope and receipts safe - this proves that on the date on the envelope it was your own intellectual property.

You can then put the copyright sign © (along with your name and year) on the music sheet.

I assume if you've recorded the songs on CD/DVD it should be the same procedure.

Hope this helps!

Bill

Willie Bee · 01-16-09, 06:33 AM

Billysteve, wow, are you in luck. Why it just so happens that someone else posted about this very topic maybe 24 hours before you, and here's the really wild, kooky coincidence: They posted from your same IP! Is that crazy or what? So it means there are two of you there in the same general area, perhaps even sharing the same computer, who have identical copyright concerns. So if you see Mitchell around your building, pass this along to him.

http://www.copyright.gov/ You should contact those folks and ask for some advice. In the end, they are the only ones you have to please. Best of luck Billysteve and tell Mitchell I said HOWDY

Mudcat · 01-16-09, 10:04 AM

Well to whomever it may concern . . .

I have copyrighted many songs and I find that geminitrading's response is pretty much on he money. When I copyrighted songs I would put a cassette plus a printout of the lyrics in the self-addressed time-stamped envelope.

The actual laws are surprisingly lax (at least they were at the time I was looking into them). You don't actually have to do much of anything. You just need to be able to prove you created something first. It can be word-of-mouth or whatever.

But it's not a bad idea to take this kind of formal step.

Halbert · 01-16-09, 11:12 PM

Re:Need Suggestions on music copyrighting?

My cousin who is also a music composer faced the same problem when he first time made his compositions released that time he came across an online service that really helped him to make the copyright of his compositions. I will recommend you also the same service so that you can also make the copyright of your compositions. All the best!

Willie Bee · 01-17-09, 07:20 AM

Wow, Billysteve, can you believe it?! Someone was just searching around the web today and saw your question and decided to help you out. Sure is a small world sometimes, huh? So tell y'all what, why don't the two of you get together via PMs and discuss this, and who knows, maybe y'all will even form a band. Best of luck and God Bless!

Casperwaits · 01-17-09, 08:16 AM

Originally posted by Willie Bee

Wow, Billysteve, can you believe it?! Someone was just searching around the web today and saw your question and decided to help you out. Sure is a small world sometimes, huh? So tell y'all what, why don't the two of you get together via PMs and discuss this, and who knows, maybe y'all will even form a band. Best of luck and God Bless!

Hey can I play the Triangle?

Mudcat · 01-17-09, 09:30 AM

Originally posted by Halbert

he came across an online service that really helped him to make the copyright of his compositions.

Well okay that is pretty great. Some people just copyright their stuff but finally there is a service that really copyrights it. When you're done there your music is copyrighted but good.