Another copyright question

[Rock Star 87]

I already mailed form SR to the office with the final mix and money order fee for my first song for the album. now i heard of a form PA to copyright sheet music. is this important since only i know the notes and i refuse to hand out sheet music to random people. the final mix on form SR is the most important one, right?

[freere]

Seems like copyrighting sheet music would only be useful if you were trying to sell sheet music, and even then only maybe. The reason is that according to US copyright law, you don't need to register with the Copyright Office to hold a copyright. As long as the work in question is a) an original work, and b) you have a tangible copy of it, then you hold the copyright to that work, and are protected by copyright law. That applies to recordings as well as sheet music. However, if someone infringes on your copyright and you want to take them to court, you have to register first.

::shrugs:: Not sure if you already knew that, or if it matters in your situation. Just tossing it out there.

[Rock Star 87]

but could someone then use all the notes of the song, and mix it a different way and get away with it.

[BentRabbit]

Originally Posted by Rock Star 87

but could someone then use all the notes of the song, and mix it a different way and get away with it.

Your song and your recording are registered with Form SR... So, if you feel someone else is claiming one of your songs as their own, you can now take them to court.

As far as them 'getting away with it' or not, that will be up to the judge...
George Harrison was found guilty of using all the notes from 'He's So Fine' and mixing it a different way to compose 'My Sweet Lord' and the trial judge concluded that $1,599,987 of Mr. Harrison's earnings from the song were attributable to the music of "He's So Fine".

Then there's Vanilla Ice who took the prominent bass riff from Queen's 'Under Pressure' and incorporated into 'Ice Ice Baby' , claiming the riff was original because he added a single eighth-note at the end of Queen's riff...

Apparently, that case never went to trial, but it's rumored the matter was settled out of court for an undisclosed sum....

Registering your material was the right thing to do... hopefully you'll never have to test the system...