Musician Forum - Band Discussion Board - BandMix

There is a copyright on the song, and another copyright for the sound recording (SR)

A song is legally copyrighted when you put it in fixed form...even if that "form" is only how you play it live.

You can sue someone who stole your song for however much they made from it, once you prove you had written it before they used it. However, you can not sue for punitive damages (possible future earnings lost because someone else recorded it) without having it on record in the Library of Congress.

if you want to be able to sue for punitive damages if someone steals it....yes



I always felt that if someone stole my music and made money on it, I'm going to hire them to be my manager!!!

Ted

Exactly! I had a roommate (lead guitar / broke all the time) who was always warning me that someone would still my work. I told I hope they do!

Talbot

Regarding the publishing process are you looking to publish the sheet music only or the actual sound recording of the piano piece as well?

Both are a different process .

You are the owner of the copyright in all forms though so selling your work in any form is really not an issue at all. Assuming the work is completely original.

jookeyman wrote:OK, we still haven't discussed the publishing process.
Let's say I have the copyrighted piano score in hand.
Is publishing music similar to publishing a book?? Is it a competitive venture or do you find a company that specializes in your genre and you bounce it off of them??

I overlooked what you were saying before about copyrighting a particular piece within a larger score that has been copyrighted. There is a separate form for clarifying individual pieces within a larger piece. Don't know the name/number of that form but it does exist.

http://copyrightregistry-online-form.co ... AsRX8P8HAQ


Publishing is the act of distributing a copyrighted item. It can be as simple as making copies to hand out, or as elaborate as a publishing contract with Sony.

It sounds like you're asking how to get it distributed by a major publisher? That's the $64,000 question everyone is asking. The answer is to convince someone that they can make a lot of money on your work.



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Not sure what you're trying to do, Jook! Yes, all the songs in a combined 'work' are copyrighted when you do a 'SR' form. If you decide to re-record one of the songs, you don't need to re-copyright it.

Initially, you were talking about 'publishing' a song? Are you signing up with a publisher to distribute a song - they take all the publisher PRO royalties if you do this (in hope of getting your song put out to more ears/players, of course). If you register a song with BMI or ASCAP as a songwriter, you can also designate yourself as the publisher, if you have not contracted with someone for that. You can also transfer the publishing rights at a later date.

jookeyman wrote:OK- this is straight from the Website-

When to Use This Form: Use Form SR for registration of published or
unpublished sound recordings. Form SR should be used when the copyright
claim is limited to the sound recording itself, and it may also be used where the
same copyright claimant is seeking simultaneous registration of the underlying
musical, dramatic, or literary work embodied in the phonorecord.

Looks to me like the individual pieces of the SR are covered under the SR copyright the way this is written.

No, it covers the music on the sound recording as a single copyright.

But if they aren't already copyrighted individually, you could then later file some kind of clarification (forgot which form #) and then go through and name every song. The legal theory however, says that those songs would only be copyrighted when played in that particular order.

Don't think it has ever been tested.