 The Clarinet BBoard
|
Author: Mark Charette
Date: 2002-08-30 18:41
If you are a US citizen and living in the US - the song is copyrighted the moment it is fixed (written on paper or some other permanent medium). However, if you are a US citizen, to collect statuatory damages you must register the copyright with the US Copyright Office. See www.copyright.gov for instructions.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: JMcAulay
Date: 2002-08-30 18:50
You could see a lawyer who specializes in intellectual properties and engage that person to do all the necessary work to protect your composition.
You could get a contract with a publisher. The publisher will arrange for your membership in a licensing organization (in the US: ASCAP, BMI, or SESAC, most likely). That will ensure that you are compensated based on public performances for profit. The publisher will also take care of aranging a formal copyright.
You could get the necessary forms, prepare them yourself, and send them to the appropriate government agency with the appropriate fee (I do not recall which one, where, or how much).
Or you could do nothing. Every creator of intellectual property has a common-law copyright to his or her works. However, asserting that in court could be extremely difficult unless you can substantiate your claim of prior creation. The best way to do this, of course, is by doing one of the things listed above.
I am not a lawyer, and the above should not in any way be considered legal advice. I merely have some past experience in this area (including paying many thousand to licensing agencies) which, unfortunately, was several years ago and laws/regulations might have changed.
A lawyer specializing in that field is likely your best bet.
I suspect you will get a lot of responses, most of them wrong (as the above may well be wrong).
Regards,
John
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
The Clarinet Pages
|
 |
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
