Copyright protection for your music is extremely important. If you did not own the copyright to your music, anyone could use it in whatever manner they wanted. In other words, it could be copied without permission, performed at venues, or used for projects you may not endorse. As such, other people could be earning off the work you created while you receive zero credit.Fortunately, there is the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works. This convention sets out minimum standards of copyright protection that its signatory countries follow. There are over 150 countries that belong to the Berne Convention - so if you are reading this, your country probably belongs to the convention and follows the minimum standards.
- How to Copyright Music
According to the Berne Convention, copyright is automatic. What this
means is, as soon as you put your music in a fixed form, you
automatically own the copyright. So "how do you copyright music?" you
put it in a fixed form. Here are some examples to further explain the
concept of automatic copyright:
Lyrics: when you write your lyrics on a napkin - you automatically own the copyright to those lyrics. Other people are not allowed to use your lyrics without your permission.
Musical Composition: when you write the musical notation on staff paper (for example), you own the copyright to the composition. Others are not allowed to use this musical composition for their own work without your permission.
Sound Recordings: when you record your song on a CD, you own the copyrights to the recorded performance (this may be the song and/or lyrics). This means others cannot copy the specific recording of the song (this is why it's illegal to "burn" CDs you buy in the stores - because the artist or label owns the sound recording). As a reminder, you need permission to record someone's song if you are using their lyrics or musical composition.
- Copyright Registration - Not Poor Man's Copyright
Owning the copyrights to your music is one thing, but actually being
able to prove you are the owner of the work is another. Many people
like to use the method of "Poor Man's Copyright", which is mailing
yourself a copy of your work through registered mail. This method has
been deemed completely useless when it comes to proving ownership
because the registered envelop can be tampered with in a number of ways.
As such, the most proven method to protect the copyright of your music is to register your work with a reputable 3rd party. To find registries, you can simply type "protect copyright" into google, yahoo, or msn and a number of them will come up. Do your research and pick a registry that best suits your needs (look at membership fees, renewal fees, and the duration of protection as a starting point).
As a reminder, you do not need to register your work to be protected under copyright law, however, it is an excelled form of protection (and worth the investment) should someone infringe on your work.
Disclaimer:
The above information is meant as a general guide to further your
copyright knowledge and does not constitute legal advice. For questions
about your specific work, you should consult a copyright lawyer in your
country.
Justine Shoolman is a Founder of Copyright Creators (CC), a service inspired by the shortfalls of poor man's copyright. CC protects copyright for life with no membership fees. Visit CC today to receive 4 free registrations.