Copyright Questions

[RobertPhilbeck]

Hello all,
Ive been studying up on this stuff, and Im starting to grasp the concept, but I have a few questions I hope someone can answer for me.
What are the funny little names that musicians come up with at the end of copyright info? ex. "(c) 1975 Fingers Music", or (c) 1976 Big Oak Tree Music". DBA names? if so, how does one list copyright info on their musical composition without having to create a DBA name? (c)2000 Insert The Writer's Name Here Music? As far as I know it requires a business license and a whole hoopla of things that probably are not nessecery since Im just starting out. Am i correct?
Next, out of about 13 songs we have written we have recorded 4 onto a compact disc that we plan to give out to friends, and potential managers. I plan to go ahead and register the unrecoreded material on PA form. And I will register the recorded songs as well. Should I go ahead and do an SR form for the 4 recorded songs? Are the four recorded songs considered published even though its on such a small level, and we are not a licensed publishing co? We are indeed distributing the recordings ourselves. Also, how do I list copyright info on the CD where ownership of the sound recording is concerned. The Bass player and I recorded and engineered the whole thing. (p)2000 Make Up A Name Here Records, or just (p)2000 and our legal names? Seems like anything other than our legal names after the copyright would require a business licence.

Thanks, and please correct me if I am misguided.

Robert

[jimini2001]

hey dude.if you go online to the library of congress you can get all of the information about copyright laws that you will need and then some.hey break a leg with the album.
jimini2001

[jvasey]

If you write songs with other people, you should draw up proper business papers. If your writing by yourself, just use your legal name. If your going to be selling Cd's or getting airplay, you should register with a performing rights organization like ASCAP. Here in Canada, we have SOCAN, which has a songbank as well. You send them a copy of your songs, and they register them for proof in copyright suits. We only have one performing rights org here, but I think there's a few different ones in the US so shop around.

[Trak]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by RobertPhilbeck
[B]
What are the funny little names that musicians come up with at the end of copyright info? ex. "(c) 1975 Fingers Music", or (c) 1976 Big Oak Tree Music". DBA names? if so, how does one list copyright info on their musical composition without having to create a DBA name? (c)2000 Insert The Writer's Name Here Music?

Ok Robert,

Those "funny names" are the names of the songwriter's publishing companies. You do not need to create a publishing company to get a copyright for your material. The publishing company is simply a way to get more royalties from your composition. If you plan on releasing your material, or even passing it around to friends and managers, I STRONGLY ADVISE that you send in your PA and SR forms first. It only takes about 3 weeks to get your certificate back stating that you own the copyright. This is for your own protection and I learned this the hard way. I passed a few demos to managers and one of them, a shysty individual, took my demo and presented it to his star artist as his own original work. Well since I had not sent in my PA and SR forms yet, he took the liberty of doing so himself.

Well to cut a long story short when my attorney approached him with a potential lawsuit he agreed to give me credit on the resulting record, and I get some royalties from it.

So heed my words and get your copyright first.

Trak (of The Co-Conspirators, Inc.)

[Trak]

Oh, incidentally my publishing company name is: Diddy Boppin Music, Inc.

Trak.

[krysis]

I'm releasing a demo CD soon and it's going to have about 4 songs on it. Do I have to fill out a seperate PS form for each song? Or do I just do one PA form and one SR form for the whole CD? And if I do have to do seperate PA forms for each song, does that mean that they expect you to pay the $30 or so for each song too?

[Trak]

No you don't have to file separately. You can use one PA for the whole CD. All you do is give the 4 songs a name like "Krysis Demo Songs" and send in that form. They will send you a certificate and another form, CA, on which you then specify the details of each song.

You should also send in a copy of your CD with your SR form if you plan on releasing it.

Hope this helps,

Trak.

[Brad]

Originally posted by Trak
I STRONGLY ADVISE that you send in your PA and SR forms first. It only takes about 3 weeks to get your certificate back stating that you own the copyright.

Trak (of The Co-Conspirators, Inc.)
[/B]

Hey Trak,
I agree with everything you have said, except the 3 week thing. That may have been the case some time ago, but right now it can take up to 8 or so months before you get your certificate!
Of course, this shouldn't discourage anyone from sending in their stuff - it is official the day they receive it. - For example, I sent something in to LOC in early february. I just rec'd the certificate last week, but the © date is Feb. 14.

Unless Trak just has a friend that works for the LOC??? Come clean! Tell me your friend's name so I can get my stuff back fast!

Brad

[Trak]

I wish I did know someone there...hehehehe

I have always got my certificates back in 3-4 weeks. I just got one on Friday that I sent out a month ago.

Trak.

[Brad]

You must be doing the chick in the mail room and not realize it!


Maybe when the piles of mail come in, it just gets shifted around - the luck of the draw- so to speak.