CopyrightS????????

Posted: Mon Sep 01, 2003 8:35 pm

Hey
I just finished recording a 6 song demo with my friend and i am really consideing sending it to a big record label...i'm just really scared of losing my song or loosing rights to it and all that crap that could happen. I wanna know what i should do before sending this demo out to record labels?? anyone knows what i should do?
thanks

Posted: Mon Sep 01, 2003 9:51 pm

Any documentation that you have which would prove you wrote the songs should be found and officially dated. One of the easier ways to get an official government date on your music is to send it to yourself via registered mail. It gets an official stamp from Canada Post (a government agency) and you get relative peace of mind.

It is very important that you do not open anything that you send yourself. The original seal must remain intact on the off chance that you end up in court. Just make sure you identify the contents of your package before you send it to yourself.

There are other methods of dating material but until you're registered with SOCAN, ASCAP, or BMI that's basically all you can do. Except, of course, making sure your songs are worth stealing in the first place.

Posted: Tue Sep 02, 2003 6:41 am

I've heard about people doing exactly what is described by Daniel Herridge, but i do not know that in the end it truly protects you without a long protracted court battle.

The best thing you can possibly do - prior to sending any music to anyone - is to copyright the material.

This can be done simply by cutting some dics and putting them in the public market..... however - although this meets the requrements of copywrite... it can still leave you with a long court battle....

The single best thing you can do is to register your material as copyrighted.

here's a link:

http://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ1.html#cr

the cost is currently (to the best of my knowledge) 30 per song...... 1 cd with one song on it plus the application and bingo - you have the best protection in the world.

you want to use form SR.

Rod

Posted: Tue Sep 02, 2003 9:22 am

Indeed, registering your songs would be a better way to go. :tu: I'm not sure the U.S. Library of Congress would be an appropriate place to do that for a Canadian but it's worth covering your ass on both sides of the border I guess. There must be a comperable Canadian process, but I don't know the exact office to go through right now....

I'll get back to you on that.

Posted: Tue Sep 02, 2003 9:44 am

I apologize that i missed the fact that you are in Canada,

I do however believe all contries in the world recognize US copyrights.... this is a quote from the govt website i posted:

COPYRIGHT AND NATIONAL ORIGIN OF THE WORK
Copyright protection is available for all unpublished works, regardless of the nationality or domicile of the author.

So if you wish you can still do it here.

Rod

Posted: Tue Sep 02, 2003 9:58 am

Bonjour,

The Canadian Intellectual Property Office (Office de la propriete intellectuelle du Canada) is the body that handles copyright registration up here. Here's the site:

CIPO - OPIC

If I read it right, the fee is about $65 CAD per item, but there's a ton of info there, including a phone number.

Good luck, kemosabe

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