Arggggg! Vietnamese copyright law sucks!

[Hibiki Itano]

I was thinking about copyright my songs, but they refuse just because my songs are improvisations, not really songs. I use my pen name/stage name as Hibiki Itano for about 8 years, but they refuse as well because it's a foreign name, not a Vietnamese name. Anyone tell me how to due with those $#!t?

Why is this one not a song/composition? How come?
They also don't accept foreign song title and lyrics.

 

[gecko zzed]

Firstly, I have to say I really enjoyed your composition. I was actually disappointed when it ended, and I was hoping to hear more. It has the economy of composition like Erik Satie's material, but with a definite essence of the orient. Congratulations!

Improvisations are generally not copyrightable because (a) you can't copyright a process, and (b) they are (usually) ephemeral. For something to be able to be registered for copyright requires it to be fixed in some way, for example, in a score or in a recording.

If it can be reproduced (for example, someone can take the sheet music and learn to play it from that) then it is fixed and copyrightable.

What you could do is when you record your pieces, also record a midi of it. You can then load the midi into notation software and produce the score.

As a matter of interest, if you had a midi file of this composition, I would be really interested in producing an orchestral arrangement of it.


Here is some info about improvisation and copyright:

KB:Law|©: Druckversion, Antwort Nr. 180

 

[phriq]

I am not at all familiar with the copyright laws of Vietnam, however Gecko is correct in what he says for US copyright. Most jazz songs tend to be highly improvised. However, they copyright a core fundamental song, progressions, etc. Then when they play live they go off of it. Like Gecko said, if you can get sheet music along with the recording to show it is a written composition, that may help.

I have to say I really enjoyed your composition. I was actually disappointed when it ended, and I was hoping to hear more. It has the economy of composition like Erik Satie's material, but with a definite essence of the orient. Congratulations!

I agree. I enjoyed this as well. Relaxing and interesting. It is a refreshing change of pace for the latest piano music I have been listening to by Ludovico Einaudi. Good stuff.

As a matter of interest, if you had a midi file of this composition, I would be really interested in producing an orchestral arrangement of it.

This is an idea I would love to see come to fruition. I would like to hear that.

 

[Hibiki Itano]

As a matter of interest, if you had a midi file of this composition, I would be really interested in producing an orchestral arrangement of it.

I'd really love to. I have both midi files and scores (just notated last night). I will send to your inbox soon!
And I would like to thank phriq for enjoying my compositions!