copyright?

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jmmychnga

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I've written and recorded a song that I've been told I better get protected somehow-because of it's overall quality. I've never sent anything in to copyright before and don't know what to do from here. thanks.
 
Copyright is automatic. What you need to be able to do is to prove that you wrote the song first.
One way of doing that is to put a tape of the song in a sealed envelope and mail it to yourself. Make sure the envelope is sealed in such a way that it is impossible to open or close the envelope without destroying the stamps. For example, you can put the stamps on top of the opening.
There might be better ways...
 
When you record a song, it's copy righted. What you need to do is register your copy right. The envelope trick wouldn't stand up in court with a good lawyer. Do some searchs on this BBS and you'll probably find more info there.
 
you may also checkout harmonycentral they have a link that will bring you right to the long and short form for copyright protection.

RussP
 
Hey...........

not an answer to your question..but.....

Is this the real "chunga" from SLC...or some dude trying to rip off the name.......If it is you welcome to the board...........
An if it is not you...I guess welcome anyways......

Heat
 
Yo JImmy Chonga-Changa:

Copyright? Yea, verily, I know about copyright.

There are two ways you can insure your rights to your work. [I've written three textbooks and had them all registered.] Also, a former teaching colleague of mine wrote songs and words and performed and he clued me in on copyright.

There are forms you can get. You fill out the form and send it in with $20.00 to the US copywrite people and within six to eight weeks you will get your copyright. You also have to send in two copies of the work; like two cassettes for a song. For a book, you send in a couple of copies with the copyright forms. The form is called:

FORM PA FROM THE UNITED STATES COYRIGHT OFFICE.

The form I am looking at right now states that you have to send in only ten dollars.

Address:

Register of Copyrights
Library of Congress
Washington DC 20559

Also, you can go to a copyright lawyer and he will send in the forms for you; but, he will charge you about 100 dollars. [maybe more now.]

So, maybe you can contact the above address on the net and request the forms and, then, man, your song and your work will be yours.

Keep writing and recording,

Green Hornet

[This message has been edited by The Green Hornet (edited 07-21-2000).]
 
Christ...money money money...$20 per song you write? That's a lot of money...with this deal about mailing the song to yourself, can you put more than one song on the tape? And, mailing it to yourself...do you put a return address on it? heh...or anything? I don't see how that would hold up in court...please clue me in.
 
Mailing a song to yourself is like shooting yourself in the foot.
 
I agree, don't mess with sending songs to yourself. Just send it to the copyright centre. I'm from Belgium, so I don't know the procedure in the US.

I would even give you the advice: never perform your songs for too many people before they are copyrighted! I know people with bad experiences with that.

greetings!
Brett
 
Yo Yo to All:

If you don't want to copyright the simple easy way and say money, then go to a copyright or patent attorney and pay the 100 dollar fee.

But, you can do the very same thing for 10 or 20 bucks plus postage if you get the forms as mentioned in the above post.

I do believe you can copyright a entire album, like ALL ORIGINAL SONGS on a cassette or CD. But, check it out via the web; you should be able to get the government agency on line.

Happy copyrighting,
Green Hornet
 
--thanks all for the input.
So then I can send a cassette to copyright with the correct form and money? I'll find out--thanks again, marty

(jimmychonga from omaha 'not' aware or 'stolen' from SLC-thanks)
 
Alright...just to recap...it costs $20 *per* song? Or does $20 give you X number of forms? God, with home recording and copyrighting and stuff, music is costing way more than it should, heh. If I could copyright a whole album of original songs for $50 or less, hell that would make my day.
 
Ok guys Copyright forms are FREE from the library of congress and when you get them you can put up to 10 songs on one sheet, so for 20 bucks you can do up to 10 songs. You have to include lyrics, and one copy prefered on cassete tape of the works. Like I said you can do 10 songs on one sheet and then just put all 10 songs on one cassete and you are done. And yes the mailing to yourself thing does not hold up very well.
 
Now *THAT'S* what I like to hear...that sounds good...now we send the cash where again? Or do you send the cash with the forms and the tape?
 
Yo SHAKES:

Thanks for the direct info about "how many songs on one copyright form." I've never done songs yet; I've done three textbooks and the first one was through a Lawyer; big price. The other two texts, thanks to my colleague who did songs, cost me 20 balloons.

Copyright does begin when you do it; but, it's best to have the legal end closed too.

Green Hornet
 
thanks again to all of you for your input!
thanks shakes for the clarity.
-marty
 
Might be that the mailing process doesn't hold up in US courts, so then, forget it. Not that I understand why it wouldn't hold, but thats another thing.
Otherwise, since you have a sealed envelope with a stamped date on it, you know that whatever is inside that envelope is created earlier than the date on the stamp.
Obviously, the stamp needs to be placed over the seal, and the seal unbroken. You can't open it until your in court.
 
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