Klarinet Archive - Posting 000714.txt from 1998/10

From: "Mark Charette" <charette@-----.org>
Subj: Re: [kl] Attention composers...
Date: Thu, 15 Oct 1998 19:11:35 -0400

From: Shouryu Nohe <jnohe@-----.edu>

>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?

It is _not_ necessary to register; however, as you have noted, there could
be instances of someone stealing your work and calling it their own. You'd
have to take them to court with _proof_ of prior publication.

For detailed informaiton on registration, take a look at the US Government
Copyright site (since you're in the USW) at http://lcweb.loc.gov/copyright/
. Here's what they say about registeriung music:
----------------------------------------------------------------
MUSIC

Claims to copyright in either published or unpublished musical
works may be registered in the Copyright Office. To apply for
registration, send the following material in the same envelope or
package to the Register of Copyrights, Copyright Office, Library
of Congress, Washington, D.C. 20559:
1. A correctly completed application form; and
2. A $20.00 nonrefundable filing fee for each
application; and
3. A nonreturnable deposit of the work to be registered.

See Circular 50, Copyright Registration for Musical Compositions,
for details on how to complete the application form and for
further information on the deposit requirements.

Published collections of musical works and all of the
copyrightable elements of a unit of publication may be registered
on a single form with a single fee if all of the compositions are
owned by the same copyright claimant.

Unpublished collections of two or more musical works can be
submitted for registration on a single form with a single fee and
deposit of one complete copy or phonorecord only if all of the
conditions are met as specified under the topic heading
"Collections of Music" in Circular 50. Registration of an
unpublished collection of compositions extends to each
copyrightable selection in the collection, but only the collection
title appears in the Copyright Office catalogs and indexes. A
separate registration for each musical work results in a separate
record of the individual title of work in the catalogs and indexes
of the Copyright Office. A separate registration also may simplify
identification of the work for purposes of licensing, transfer,
permission, and distribution of royalties.

See Circular 50 for supplemental information on registration
procedures.

***Last update 6/14/93 (raa)***
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Ain't the Internet grand :^)
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Mark Charette@-----.org

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