Musician Forum - Band Discussion Board - BandMix

I've done a lot of reading as you might tell from this:
Music Copyright Laws
http://chipfryer.com

Nothing is ever clear cut is it. And after so many discussion on this.....
"As you will know from reading in a previous article (here). I am considering using the 'Creative Commons Licence' for (some) future releases. There has been much talk of copyright over the years on various forums, I thought this would be a good subject for this week.
On the other side of the pond, America. There is an organization called 'The US Copyright office'."

Peaceful Sundays to all.
Chippy

(moan) It's probably a wise idea. lol (stabs self in foot)(ouch)

Chippy - maybe you're right, but maybe .... For $35 you can copyright a whole album with the US Copyright office. Are you covered by other 'creative' licenses? Maybe, but this puts a date/time stamp on them. How do you prove WHEN you created a song, otherwise? Will it work in a court of law? I don't know, but its better than nothing.
I got my copyright certificate for my first album a few months after I did the work, haven't got the current one back yet, they say process time right now is 3-4 months.

Hi Mike, thanks for the reply.
It's complicated isn't it. I'd rather show what I did, rather than bother with all of this BS. However as you say, it is somewhat comforting to have a piece of paper I suppose........
I had an odd thought just now. Could we copyright the bombs folks drop or have dropped on countries? I mean prove someone did that and when?
Someone always claims responsibility, do they get a certificate?

Peace and regards, thanks again.
Chippy

GuitarMikeB wrote:Chippy - maybe you're right, but maybe .... For $35 you can copyright a whole album with the US Copyright office. Are you covered by other 'creative' licenses? Maybe, but this puts a date/time stamp on them. How do you prove WHEN you created a song, otherwise? Will it work in a court of law? I don't know, but its better than nothing.
I got my copyright certificate for my first album a few months after I did the work, haven't got the current one back yet, they say process time right now is 3-4 months.

US Copyright office is now taking about 6 weeks to get the certificate to you, just got mine for Peace Freedom Sanity Serenity, filed it on July 10.
It's like insurance, probably never need it, but I've got it if I do. Same thing with registering my songs at BMI, except that's free!

For protection, there is nothing better than the U.S Copyright office.
I guess you could give a copy of your song to a lawyer, and have him put it in a bank vault or something . . . but it sure is going to cost more than $35/song or $35/album . . .
.
I've already copyrighted over 70 songs, and I have no complaints.
Also, your best songs (or, maybe all of them) should be submitted to the performing rights organization which you joined, too.
(B.M.I., SECAP, ASCAP)

Really? I remember you seething (to steel yods word), some years ago that you were waiting for years?
Well I still haven't gotten mine.
(B.M.I., SECAP, ASCAP)
Are pretty important I agree, though that variant hasn't replied to me here either.....

RhythmMan-2 wrote:For protection, there is nothing better than the U.S Copyright office.
I guess you could give a copy of your song to a lawyer, and have him put it in a bank vault or something . . . but it sure is going to cost more than $35/song or $35/album . . .
.
I've already copyrighted over 70 songs, and I have no complaints.
Also, your best songs (or, maybe all of them) should be submitted to the performing rights organization which you joined, too.
(B.M.I., SECAP, ASCAP)

Unless you make it 'big' or someone 'big' does a cover of one of your songs, you're not going to see any residuals from your BMI/etc registration, but its free to do (for songwriters with BMI, anyway), sojust do it. You can keep a running log of live performances or radio plays of your songs and send it to them every 6 months.