Copyright Question

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16df8

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Hi everyone, how often do you copyright your work? When you’re filling out the form, how many fields stay consistent with each application, and which do you end up changing for each application? Do you have a template for yourself with the fields that stay the same to save time? If so, which fields? Thanks!
 
Which country are you in, copyright laws vary between countries.

Alan.
 
16df8 said:
Hi everyone, how often do you copyright your work? When you’re filling out the form, how many fields stay consistent with each application, and which do you end up changing for each application? Do you have a template for yourself with the fields that stay the same to save time? If so, which fields? Thanks!
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Shit.....there's not that much on the forms that you need to "save time" over. :D

I'm in the USA, and I do mine online these days using the Library of Congress "eCO" online registration process.
Once you set up the online account....it's pretty simple, cheaper than registering hard copy, and somewhat faster getting your actual registration documents back from them (about 6 months when I registered two songs last year)....but the registration counts from the day you submit online.

https://eco.copyright.gov/eService_enu/start.swe?SWECmd=Start&SWEHo=eco.copyright.gov
 
In Australia, on-line registering of songs with APRA is straightforward. It's not that frequnet and big a task that I've ever considered saving time.
 
In Ireland its automatic.. Although IMRO request details inorder to get royalties. It all depends on your country
 
Far simpler. Make a copy of your recording on a CD or soundcard. Put it in an envelope, seal it and post it to yourself recorded delivery. This way the bureaucrats can take as long as they like shuffling bits of paper between departments and it doesn't matter. You have proof the work is yours and when you made it. Even the most astute and slick of law firms can argue with that.
 
The Uninvited said:
Far simpler. Make a copy of your recording on a CD or soundcard. Put it in an envelope, seal it and post it to yourself recorded delivery. This way the bureaucrats can take as long as they like shuffling bits of paper between departments and it doesn't matter. You have proof the work is yours and when you made it. Even the most astute and slick of law firms can argue with that.
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That won't work for court proof in the USA. As you're new to these forums, I suggest you do some searching around and reading before jumping in on subjects you're not experienced in - the copyright requirements vary from country to country and there are a number of threads here on this subject already.
 
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The Uninvited said:
Far simpler. Make a copy of your recording on a CD or soundcard. Put it in an envelope, seal it and post it to yourself recorded delivery. This way the bureaucrats can take as long as they like shuffling bits of paper between departments and it doesn't matter. You have proof the work is yours and when you made it. Even the most astute and slick of law firms can argue with that.
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What MJB said above.

What you suggest is sometimes referred to as "poor man's copyright". It is not recognised in any court because it is very easy to fake.

In Australia, the bureaucrats who shuffle bits of paper to register your copyright are also the ones who collect your royalties for you,.
 
I read somewhere that the poor man's method is a viable option in the UK. Go figure... :rolleyes:

I file my copyrights about once a year. As Miro said, there's not a lot to the form.

BMI is different, there's a ton of questions, but I'm not sure how to save a template for that stuff.
 
Here's a snippet from PRSformusic FAQ.
PRSformusic are the main royalty collection agency within the UK.

"Does registering my works with PRS for Music mean my copyright is protected?
Currently, no official form of copyright registration is available.
In the UK, all original music is protected by copyright from the time it is recorded/written down in some format. Registering your works with PRS for Music enables you to be correctly paid for the broadcast or performance of your songs."
 
Copyright is something that automatically accrues at the moment of creation of a work. To establish that it is your work and not someone else's you need to have it in some tangible form (e.g. sheet music, recorded work) and you usually need to register it with a recognised authority (APRA, PRS, whatever).

See this: Poor man's copyright - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Note this:

'In countries with no central copyright registration authority, it can be difficult for an author to prove when their work was created. The United Kingdom Patent Office says this:

'"... a copy could be deposited with a bank or solicitor. Alternatively, a creator could send himself or herself a copy by special delivery post (which gives a clear date stamp on the envelope), leaving the envelope unopened on its return. A number of private companies operate unofficial registers, but it would be sensible to check carefully what you will be paying for before choosing this route.

'It is important to note, that this does not prove that a work is original or created by you..." [2]

'There is no provision in US copyright law regarding any such type of protection. Poor man's copyright is therefore not a substitute for registration. According to section 408 of the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, registration of a work with the Copyright Office is not a prerequisite for copyright protection.[3]'
 
Well, we are shooting answers left...right...and centre, but until the OP comes back and tells use which country they are in it's all pointless.

The answer is, contact the copyright people in the country of residence and ask then what you do.

Alan.
 
witzendoz said:
Well, we are shooting answers left...right...and centre, but until the OP comes back and tells use which country they are in it's all pointless.
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The reason I don't generally bother with vague first post questions, especially with randomish user names...
 
Actually, all the OP wanted, I think, was an easier way to fill in the form.

The ensuing thread has most likely been pointless.
 
I thinks it's interesting because the membership of the societies and agencies works for people exploiting your work - generating income. The actual copyright exists as a separate entity - just owner ship really, and that's what the posting idea relates to. In the UK it's still valid as a method of dating, but the trouble is that although forensics could prove the provenance the court have to decide if your right is infringed by comparison and that's where the sticky moments come in - deciding if the different key, tempo and perhaps musical arrangement makes it the same, or different.

The posting simply is an evidential issue as to validity and date, and I'm pretty sure that still applies in the States - it's the matching that introduces the random element. The date the item was created can still be perfectly validated by science if need be.
 
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