Anyone used this method of Copyrighting a song?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9sIS54U7LuA&feature=related

So for the 2 CDs they need, can they be on burnt from Windows Media Player (as an example) ?

Mike.... yeah if you want to register the song and use the 2 CD's... the only thing that matters is that the CD plays on an audio CD player. 

I have not registered a song with the US Library of Congress in many years. I do believe you can now submit the songs electronically as wave or MP3 and do all the filing and paying on line. Have a look at copyrighting the songs as a collection as opposed to individual songs..... you save a ton of money doing it that way. That was how I used to do it.....wait until I had 3 or 4 songs minimum and register them as a collection for the same cost as one song. 

Last time I copyrighted a song, I sent in a cassette tape.... that's how long it's been.

I do not copyright my songs with the LOC. Here's why. I have Masterwriter songwriter's software. It comes with a service called SONGUARD where I can register the song with their secure servers and I get a time/date stamp on the music/lyrics and get a print out. It's fast and included with the software.  

Note: there are other 3rd party stand alone registration companies if you wanted to go that route. Google search for them. 

In addition.... if you place any song on any music website like Soundclick or Reverbnation, etc... the servers there also time and date stamp the file when it gets uploaded.  A copyright is nothing but a time and date stamp verified by the Library of Congress. Should legal redress be needed on a song of mine, I would need to file a LOC copyright to take it to a court. I have proof that I registered the song previous to any other copyright, and the lawyers will sort that out. Just having a LOC copyright means nothing when it comes to a jury and a judge. It depends on how convincing the lawyers for each side are with the jury. 

Truth be told, the majority of songs are not in any danger of being stolen. Most reputable publishers and music industry reps will not even listen to your songs unless they ask YOU for them. It's to protect themselves from lawsuits. As a song writer, I have been trying to get people to listen to and use my music for decades, and as hard as it is to get them to listen..... no, I don't think anyone is trying to steal my music. Even the writers with a string of #1 hits still have to get in line and jump through the hoops to get their new tunes on the desk of the producers and managers. 

I know a guy with six number one country hits with big name artists. If you listen to country music, you have heard his songs. He moved out of Nashville and back to this area and plays on weekends as an acoustic act in small clubs for fun and drives a truck Monday through Friday. 

If you want to copyright the music so you can sleep better at night, by all means, do so. 



One final thought: If a legitimate music publisher does hear your song and wants to sign it.... they will be obtaining the copyright in their company name. If you have registered it in your name previously, it causes more paper work for them. I was advised by a very reputable publisher not to copyright and not to register my songs with the PRO I am with since when he signed my songs he would have his company handle all that and there would be no double registrations in the system that would cause confusion later in regards to payments. This advice is echoed by other writers I know who regularly place works with libraries and publishers. Dealing with legitimate companies, this is not a problem. 

I have heard that if you mail the package to the LOC you can expect the turnaround time to be between 6 months to a year or longer. 

It is the government and now days everyone fancies themselves to be a song writer. 

I like both ways together myself.

As an addition to the process NOT identified anywhere is sending it registered with delivery confirmation which gets multiple actions of documenting at once. 

The entire documenting process of the initial filing starts at home or local P.O.  As your submit it is tracked, captured electronically and saved on Government computers INCLUDING the date, time, USPS accepted, person accepting it at the LOC Office, deliverer, etc.. and is stored forever.  (I used to work in this field)

On top of the all the other things we do prior to submitting to LOC like posting music, lyrics, etc... on a decent website to establish a pub date.

To me the mailing process is a huge part in todays way of doing it to ADD plenty of Song creation/information for future reference IF needed.

Kinda my thinking now from what Im seeing but 30 years does wonders of not looking at things like this

yes.. from the day they receive it...it's legal as concerns the USLOC.  It gets stamped and becomes the official date, even though it has not been processed.

I understand totally that Masterwriter is NOT a USLOC copyright and does not substitute for it regarding the courts. My point is, I use it to provide proof of the date of creation. No other reason. I see no need to spend money on USLOC copyright when I know the reality of the statistics regarding published songs and stolen songs. This is simply not something I worry about. I have date of creation proof and deal with legitimate publishers. If I need a lawyer at some point, I'm sure there are quite a few in the music business that would be willing to take a case with a Masterwriter proof of creation date stamp. 

This is simply my point of view. How I roll. 

LEGALLY, a copyright is established and is valid the moment you put the song into some sort of tangible format.... on a cassette or a CD or as a file on the internet. No further action is required to establish a copyright...it is automatic. However.......The USLOC copyright is the only LEGALLY ACTIONABLE form that is recognized by the government in the US court system should such action be needed. 

I could not file a copyright infringement case in a US court based on a Masterwriter "song registration" form. I would need to first file a USLOC copyright to bring legal action. Even if it's dated AFTER the "other" copyright on the song in question, it is still a requirement. The Masterwriter registration could be introduced as evidence and admitted into evidence by the presiding judge with a court order to secure the Masterwriter server file  proving the song was created earlier than the opposing party's copyright date. It would be up to a jury to decide.

In dealing with music industry companies..... if you have a copyright, they will sign the song and do the paper work needed as was the case on the songs I signed. The publisher did indicate that they would prefer to do a "clean copyright" to save time, and paperwork and I would save money by allowing them to handle the copyright. If you are dealing with a reputable publisher, there is no danger in dealing this way...and why would you deal with anything less than a reputable publisher in this business anyway? 

Reputable being defined as: a company which has a solid reputation in the business, has been doing business for a long time, working with major artists and production companies, is placing songs into commercial projects, and is recommended by other reputable companies. Always do you due diligence when dealing with any music related business. Having a good reputation is everything in the music business, both to writers and publishers. 



I'm not saying the way I do it is the best or even the advisable way to do it..... it's how I do it and I'm comfortable with it.  The best way is, without a doubt.....the USLOC. 

The hard truth is that most of what songwriters write would never in a million years be recorded by any artist on any label.  Therefore, paying for a USLOC copyright is simply a waste of money. 

I listen to the songs that I have USLOC copyright on..... now that I am writing better songs.... I look back and think that what I was writing then was so amateurish from a professional writer's POV. No way would those ever get recorded..... but you could not convince me of that...then.

I like to believe I write better. However, as a member of Nashville Songwriters Assoc. I can send songs in to be "professionally evaluated" by writers who have had number one hits and supposedly know something about writing. I understand that they are giving an opinion..... however, the things they point out in the songs I currently write seem to indicate there is still a ways to go before I am writing songs that would seriously be contenders for a big Nashville artist's next CD. 

Looking at it from THAT perspective... I still see no need in USLOC copyright on the stuff I write. When and if I get to the point in writing where I have a hit or two with a major, then I will use the USLOC for every finished song I write..... until then, until I get to that point....I don;t see the need to protect with USLOC the music I am currently writing. Masterwriter, with it's secure server date of creation mark is sufficient.