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Hey,

Was wondering if anyone had any knowledge of a Readers Digest version of copyrighting ones up an coming 8 track or record? Just kidding, of course I meant cd.

Anyone?

Big Papi
www.bitguys.com
www.ipapentertainment.com
papi@ipapentertainment.com

BIT wrote:Hey,

Was wondering if anyone had any knowledge of a Readers Digest version of copyrighting ones up an coming 8 track or record? Just kidding, of course I meant cd.

Anyone?

Big Papi
www.bitguys.com
www.ipapentertainment.com
papi@ipapentertainment.com

google...

You mean like the "poor man's copyright" where you mail a copy to yourself & let the postmark on the envelope act as your copyright?

I think he means a condensed read like the condensed readers digest books...tbh the library of congress has a good section about it on their page. There are a lot of myths around the subject, including a battle on the mailing the songs to yourself...I do that and feel secure about it as a back-up...people should read the loc's page.

What a lot of people fail to grasp is what is needed if you enter into infringement issues. A song is considered copy written when it's written, sending it to the library of congress is not mandatory but highly suggested by the library of congress...but if they lose it, don't get documentation out ect...it's not their fault.

In order to win a suit you must not only prove (not by reasonable doubt, the burden of proof is "more likely than not") that the song was written by you, copyright does solve that as can poor man's. However you also must prove that the other party had an opportunity to hear your music, it's not infringement if they never heard it. That seems to get forgotten, but it's a case breaker...however the Internet helps...post you music and they could of heard it. You don't have to prove they heard it, just that they could of.

Google, library of congress and trade magazines are all quick sources to get info...

But first, read the discussion on this very same topic written by someone who went through the entire process recently.
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This posting is becoming redundant. You should probably read the other posting first . . . .
It's called "Copyrighting my song. How long does it take?"
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Your actually right hink. .

I have googled it before. I just like to hear from someone who had done it themselves, because sometimes you get the, "what they don't tell ya is" or "in my experience, watch out for this".

On the mail thing though, I know the answer to that completely.

Their is no such thing as mail yourself copyright process that is considered legal. When I first started in comedy in the early 90's, it was one of the first rumors we heard.

The case that brought that rumor crumbling to an end was actually the Tim Allen cased in Michigan. Tim Allen of course is the comedian from Tool Time and the Santa Clause.

He STOLE his power tool/ arghh arghh arghh comedy from a fellow comedian in the Michigan area. When taken to court, the comic brought in the "copyright" protected material in his envelopes. It was to NO avail, as Tim was found to be the first with a PAID recorded performance, and basically becasue the other guy couldn't prove his case it was thrown out and Tim Allen became a star.

I can't tell you how many legal websites and music websites and industry professionals will tell you NO NO NO to the mail yourself copyright. All you are doing is practicing mailing large envelopes to yourself . . .no more.

At anyrate. . . .I will look back into the LOC, in the end, I just wanted to know if there were any other unique stories or quicker, streamlined ways of going about it.

BIG PAPI
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