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  • Anyone used this method of Copyrighting a song?
2012/09/21 07:29:58
Beagle
it's outdated.  2008.  you no longer have to be a "beta tester" to file a copyright electronically with the US copyright office.
2012/09/21 08:29:08
digi2ns
So for the 2 CDs they need, can they be on burnt from Windows Media Player (as an example) ?
2012/09/21 09:03:23
Beagle
yes.  but not as a DATA disk, it must be a music CD.

also he was wrong about the cost. eCO is $35 per song or "works" depending on the type of copyright you are obtaining.

I do recommend you read thru the FAQs on the copyright.gov page that he mentioned in the video.  it has the up to date information on it.

http://www.copyright.gov/help/faq/
2012/09/21 09:05:56
Guitarhacker
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. 
2012/09/21 09:20:39
digi2ns
Thanks Reece-I just found the video last night messing around and was wondering how much had actually changed without having had time to check out the .gov site. Nice to get the up to date info.

Great Herb-Thats kinda what I was suspecting and didnt know as far as being able to do multiple submissions on 1 filing. I did 4 songs back in the early 80s as well with cassette tape too

I like the idea of how simple it has gotten and at $35 once you have a collection that your happy with and created a good history of it online once you send it into LOC with "Delivery Confirmation", just cant go wrong.

I believe one cant go wrong completing both the SR & PA at the same time as well.


2012/09/21 09:36:33
Guitarhacker
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. 


2012/09/21 09:38:35
Beagle
FWIW, I completely disagree with Herb's suggestion of using Masterwriter or any other "3rd party" copyright.  Herb knows I disagree with it, so I'm sure he's not surprised I'll post a response.

If you read the FAQs on the copyright page you'll see an entry about "poor man's copyright" and while it doesn't specifically call out 3rd party vendors like Masterwriter, it does specifically say that the only way to legally register a copyright is thru the US copyright office (this is US law only, other countries have different laws).
 
I also disagree with the advice of not copyrighting anything and allowing a publisher to copyright in the company name.  deals can be made with the copyright in your name if they want your song(s) bad enough.
 
but that's just my opinion.  and I'm not a lawyer or in the music business.  I'm an Engineer.  and I don't drive trains. 
2012/09/21 09:51:12
digi2ns
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
2012/09/21 09:55:00
digi2ns
Guitarhacker


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. 

Which brings me to this.

They say copyright is from the day published or received by the LOC.  Hence the Signed document stored on Federal computers

It can sit on their desk as long as it takes, but you have an government electronic and hand written document showing the date the LOC office received your song.
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