Copyright stuff

[Fizban]

I am playing in a band and we made a CD. One guy writes all the words and brings music to practices. We all have input on how the song ends up putting parts here and there. Now he says he is copyrighting the songs. How could I check on the copyright and make sure that the band is part of the copyright.
Fizban

[Recording Engineer]

Who ever writes the words and melodies (per song) is the one(s) who should own the PA copyrights. Nothing else can be copywritten in the PA form. Of course this is the money maker.

Anyone who performs in a recording should be included in owning the SR copyrights.

You can copyright an arrangement. That's what I'm assuming what the band really contributes. I think that's a different form though.

That's the way it works.

[Fizban]

What is a PA copyrights and what are SR copyrights. If the band contributes more than just aranging like chord changes and lyric changes then it is a group project....right...

[Recording Engineer]

Refer to the e-mail I sent you.

[tdukex]

You can't change a couple of words or a chord in SOMEONE ELSE'S song and then say, "There, I've contributed, therefore It's my song too, and I should be included on the copyright."

Write your own friggin songs.

[hixmix]

PA is a "performing arts" copyright.
SR is a "sound recording" copyright.

If the writer is copyrighting his own lyrics it's perfectly legal for him to do that.
If he's copyrighting a song that you all collaborated on, and wants all the credit for himself, that's not so good.

Checkout the Copyright Office at The Library of Congress website. You can download copyright forms and find out everything you need to know.

[BLISS]

(damn why do people go around what you ask)
here check it
simply put, if you all have input, you all
should be on the copyright, REGARDLESS, that's how it works, if the SR (sound recording) was done as a group, all names should be on the form, PA (performing arts) you all did it together, whether you add the chorus, someone else added the signature melody, and someone else carried the outro to make it phenomonally great, ALL names should be applied to the COPYRIGHT form

[Recording Engineer]

BLISS:

Nope.