Changing registration of a copyright

T

twangbuck

New member
Hi all, quick question. I have several tunes copyrighted under my real name, but I'd like to transfer those registrations to a pseudonym. How do I do that? Also, should I trademark the pseudonym? Should I try to find out if it's being used by someone else? If so, how do I do that?
Thanks!
 
What is the point? It is still you. Unless you have become someone else...

Seriously, I am not sure I understand why you would want to transfer the copyrights. Unless you just want to use a cooler name, it all just comes back to your legal name anyway. Whatever that is...
 
I'm not sure you can. A registration is a legal document ...... it may ( I say may cause I'm not sure) but it may be that it has to be your legal name.
 
From a copyright point of view, I don't think it matters. I expect these guys are right; It's gona be your legal name that's important.
It may matter to your royalty collection agency though.
If you submit works for broadcast under a pseudonym and don't tell the collection agencies, I wish you luck.

Ours only get about 5% of broadcasts right without the added confusion of pseudonyms!

I don't know about any others, but the agency in the UK allow for real full name and pseudonyms in their registration process.
I'm fairly sure I can also add pseudonyms at a later date when registering works.
 
Steenamaroo said:
I don't know about any others, but the agency in the UK allow for real full name and pseudonyms in their registration process.
I'm fairly sure I can also add pseudonyms at a later date when registering works.
Click to expand...
that may well be .... I'm pretty sure I can go back to my registration and add info
 
Once you register, you can't change stuff (I'm 99% sure).

What you do is simply re-register under the pseudonym (or with any changes you wish to make)....and it doesn't matter that there are two registrations, since it's you in both cases...but even if say, 30 other people registered your songs, it still doesn't matter, until there is *a question of ownership*.

It kinda' sucks, since you have to pay again....but that's how it is.

You may be able to make changes BEFORE a registration is processed, but you have be quick about it and get in touch with the L of C.
I recently registered two songs electronically, and accidentally "Closed" the upload option before uploading my lyric sheets (l had already uploaded the audio files). I called them the next day and the guy opened the upload for me and I was able to add more stuff....but of course, my registration had not yet been processed.
 
twangbuck said:
Hi all, quick question. I have several tunes copyrighted under my real name, but I'd like to transfer those registrations to a pseudonym. How do I do that? Also, should I trademark the pseudonym? Should I try to find out if it's being used by someone else? If so, how do I do that?
Thanks!
Click to expand...
I'm not sure why you'd want to do this.

You can't change the registration name. You can, however, assign the copyrights to a different name, though you should make sure that the pseudonym is your legal name or, at least, a DBA.

You can't just trademark a name (and the term is "register a trademark," "trademark" is a noun). You must be using it in commerce as a source designator for goods or services, or else file under an "intent to use," but, again, it must be in connection with specific goods or services.

You should definitely find out if the proposed mark is being used by someone else. You can search trademarks at uspto.gov, the United States Patent and Trademark Office website. However, that will only find registered trademarks, not common law uses -- trademarks do not have to be registered to be protected. Common law searches are available from search firms in the $500-1000 range, depending on how fast you want the search performed. However, a lay person cannot readily determine whether a prior use or registration would preempt infringement, as infringement can occur even with marks that differ from one another.
 
Steenamaroo said:
From a copyright point of view, I don't think it matters. I expect these guys are right; It's gona be your legal name that's important.
It may matter to your royalty collection agency though.
If you submit works for broadcast under a pseudonym and don't tell the collection agencies, I wish you luck.
Click to expand...

Copyright and royalties/rights are two different and separte things (at least in the USA they are).
 
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