COPYRIGHT ???

Subject: COPYRIGHT ???
From: GUEST,Unicorn
Date: 10 Jan 02 - 02:36 PM

Can anyone tell me the simplest, safest and cheapest method of applying for a copyright on a song/melody? This is in England! Thanks.

Subject: RE: COPYRIGHT ???
From: Devilmaster
Date: 10 Jan 02 - 02:42 PM

I remember a music teacher telling a student to mail the letter to himself, registered.

But I think you would need something to describe the contents.

That's my idea. Hope it helps.

Steve

Subject: RE: COPYRIGHT ???
From: Louie Roy
Date: 10 Jan 02 - 05:06 PM

As Devilmaster suggests Write the words to your song and the music if you have it the date and anything else pertinate to it and send a certified letter to yourself and mail it.When you receive the letter you have to sign for it so this will protect your song,but then I suggest you apply for a copyright and in England I have no ides what the procedure is buthere you have to go through WDC and it costs a few bucks and some rig ga ma ro but it then protects you for 95 years Louie Roy

Subject: RE: COPYRIGHT ???
From: Steve in Idaho
Date: 10 Jan 02 - 06:09 PM

And tell the postmaster what you are doing - they will date stamp across the seal for you. And DO NOT open it. If you do it is no longer valid.

Steve

Subject: RE: COPYRIGHT ???
From: Dicho (Frank Staplin)
Date: 10 Jan 02 - 06:24 PM

Copyright questions keep coming up in Mudcat. Here is the US website which provides full text of U. S. copyright laws and proposed changes. WWW.loc.gov/copyright/
Does the British Government not have a similar website?

Subject: RE: COPYRIGHT ???
From: Noreen
Date: 10 Jan 02 - 06:46 PM

Advice from my university lecturer on Copyright: (UK)

Mail it to yourself, as stated above. All you need is proof of the date that you wrote it, in case of future challenge, and a postmarked letter will provide that.

Noreen

Subject: RE: COPYRIGHT ???
From: Murray MacLeod
Date: 10 Jan 02 - 06:49 PM

In Britain there is no need to apply for copyright.

Copyright automatically subsists with the composer of the song, poem or whatever. As long as you can prove that you are the author, (and mailing a letter to yourself would be as good a way as any) you do not need to take any further steps as far as establishing copyright is concerned.

In the States the situation is somewhat different.

Murray

Subject: RE: COPYRIGHT ???
From:
Date: 10 Jan 02 - 07:31 PM

Canadian law is the same as the British one as I remember.

Subject: RE: COPYRIGHT ???
From: Dicho (Frank Staplin)
Date: 10 Jan 02 - 07:38 PM

UK copyright. See www.patent.gov.uk/copy/
Copyright in UK defined and explained, terms, etc.

Subject: RE: COPYRIGHT ???
From: toadfrog
Date: 11 Jan 02 - 12:21 AM

It is not technically necessary in the United States to apply for a copyright, but if you are serious about wanting one, it is an extremely good idea. Without the formal application, it is much harder to prove you wrote the song, or software, or whatever. Also, without proof of application, you can't recover damages for infringement.

I strongly suggest you not go out and read the statutes, as statutes can be extremely misleading if you do not have the background and case law. Talk to a lawyer, or if you are really into doing it yourself, find a copy of Nimmer on Copyright. In the Western U.S., in any case, such things are open to the public in your County law library.

I also strongly suggest you take with a large grain of salt things you will find in the many, many copyright threads on this website. They tend to be written by people with axes to grind, and could be v. misleading.

Subject: RE: COPYRIGHT ???
From: CRANKY YANKEE
Date: 11 Jan 02 - 04:06 AM

The "semd yourself a registered letter with the postmark going across all the sealed surfaces.( flaps, etc)DO NOT OPEN IT. put it in a safe place./ This sets the date of composition. The author owns the "copy rights" and can sell it or give it to anyone he or she chooses. These rights automatically belong to the composer, and the one with the earliest "date of composition" wins all the marbles.

In the USA, you can register the date of composition with the Library of Congress simply by requesting an "E" form, fill it out, send it in with a copy of the original material together with the filing fee.and, Bob's your uncle, the dte of composition is SECURELY established.

A "copyright" is not something one has to apply for, The rights to the copy always resides with the author unless it is given to someone el;se BY THE AUTHOR . The E form is the cheapest and easiest way to register the date with the Library of Congress. There are more expensive, more complicated ways of accomplishing this "setting the Date" with the Library of Congress, and they are not one bit more secure than the two methods outlined above.

Subject: RE: COPYRIGHT ???
From: toadfrog
Date: 11 Jan 02 - 12:10 PM

Cranky Yankee: Technically that is absolutely correct. You have a copyright if you do those simple things. The problem is that such a copyright is extremely difficult to enforce. So if the copyright has actual value, you want to make a formal application.

Subject: RE: COPYRIGHT ???
From: GUEST,Unicorn
Date: 11 Jan 02 - 12:32 PM

Thanks everyone for your help.