What about Canada?

[thugpassion]

I'm a Canadian female wanting to know how and/or where I can get information about copywriting my songs in Canada. I'm planning on putting together an album soon, so any other advice you have to offer will be great.

P.S.
If you are going to refer me to a website, please state the web address, not just the name of the company that owns the website.

[Emeric]

http://cipo.gc.ca/

Should find most of the info here. You can always call them for more detailed info.

[dobro]

Emeric, what's your understanding about this - if you copyright something in Canada, is it covered in the rest of the world that honors copyright law? Canadian copyrights stand up in American and British courts, for example?

[Emeric]

Hey Dobro,

No idea...

Not a lawyer..

[dobro]

Okay, I did my own legwork on the site you mentioned, and found this:

Is the copyright of a Canadian author valid in foreign countries?


Yes, as long as the country in question belongs to either the Berne Copyright
Convention or the Universal Copyright Convention or is a member of the World Trade
Organization. These conventions include most countries in the world.

So, I wonder which one's cheaper, the Canadian one or the American one? (dobro heads back to the CIPO site...)

[dobro]

It's $65 Canadian to register a copyright, which presumably would cover as many songs as you wanted to include in the package.

I seem to remember somebody here saying American copyright registration costs $30 American.

So, can you register a copyright with any country you want to? Sigh, back to the site...

[This message has been edited by dobro (edited 04-02-2000).]

[Emeric]

Yeah that sounds right Dobro. I'm seem to recall the $65 amount when I called the local office in Hull (Quebec). It does cover as many songs as you want to include for the $65 charge.

Emeric

[Emeric]

Does it cost big $ to copyright material in Singapore? Is this why your looking into it?

[dobro]

Singapore pays lip service to copyright law, but like most of Asia, allows open flouting of it in practice. There are shops all over Singapore where you can buy copy software - ten bucks will get you Windows 2000, the latest version of Word Perfect or a load of National Geographic back issues. It's pirate heaven.

I reckon it's safer registering copyright in a country that takes it seriously.

[dobro]

Small update that might save you a couple of bucks: the guy at CIPO told me that if you are a citizen of a country that subscribes to the Berne Convention, you can register your copyright in any other country that does so.

Which means that you, Emeric, can copyright your stuff in the States (which costs less than it does in Canada). Is there *anything* in this racket that costs less in Canada?

[JONRAVEN]

hey there thug passion..


I think I can help you there because I am from Nova Scotia and I am in the songwriters society her....I think I have what you need and it's free! Write up a contractual type agreement that states that you wrote such and such a song on such and such a date and get two witnesses to sign it stateing when the first time they heard you play the song... this also means that you should always play your new songs for atleast two people you ttrust whenever you write and record them... then get them to sign the form at the same time! This is legal in court and also I think you should know something about copyright... You own the copyright of a work as soon as you create a hard copy of the work! What you have to do is register that you are the owner of that copyright. This can be done by the PA form from the library of congress or by calling your local intellectual properties office for more info! Hope I was of some help! Don't trust just sending it to yourself anymore but it is a good idea to do that as extra proof!

[thugpassion]

Thanx y'all. Now I'm getting alot of information. I'm going to be Canadian legend because of y'all.

[dobro]

If you become a Canadian legend, it'll be because of Thugpassion - don't blame yer fame on us.