Klarinet Archive - Posting 000712.txt from 1998/10

From: Shouryu Nohe <jnohe@-----.edu>
Subj: [kl] Attention composers...
Date: Thu, 15 Oct 1998 18:33:24 -0400

Gots a question for those of you who have music published currently -

How do you go about copyrighting something? I plan on publishing myself
privately (that's what my printer is for, hmm?), and I mean, there's gotta
be more to it than just putting Copyright 1998 JM Nohe at the bottom -
what's to stop someone from just taking my piece and renotating it with
their name at the bottom and suing me?

I'd rather not join one of those little copyright guilds - I don't enough
writing or arranging to do that. But I have done distribution (to several
members on the list, as a matter of fact). I trust them enough that
they're not going to rip it off. But if I distribute elsewhere, how do I
know someone else won't? There's gotta be like, some official copyright
or something, but I've been told by some people that it's not
necessary...still, I have too many doubts. What's the deal?

J. Shouryu Nohe
http://web.nmsu.edu/~jnohe
Professor of SCSM102, New Mexico State Univ.
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"Well, I can't help it. My nose for trouble has a penchant for
getting my eyes into all the wrong places." - Kaji Ryoji

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