Anybody with Experience Copyrighting Music with Lyrics?

[glp2012]

Has anybody ever use the Government web site for copyrighting music? It seems like you can copyright lyrics (Form PA) and or sound recordings (Form SR), but I can't figure out how to do both. I assume when you submit your sound recording with lyrics, you retain the copyright for both? Also, do you submit sheet music, the actual recording, or a combination of the two?

 

Any insight would be appreciated.

 

If I need to do more research, a link would be appreciated that might explain the process. As an aside, I have viewed the PowerPoint presentation about using the online submission forms and read a few of the Government FAQ's.

 

Thanks.

[RaysEpiphone]

Been a while since I've dealt with any of this stuff. I'd call the Library of Congress in Washington DC and talk to some one in the copyright office.

[Rabs]

http://www.wikihow.com/Copyright-a-Song

[milod]

Ditto in terms of "long time since..."

 

Ain't done a copyright registration since before the new laws.

 

In theory at least, a piece is copyrighted when first "published" by the creator. OTOH, if somebody else rips it off, the registration gives the potential of damages as well as cease-and-desist.

 

m

[Izzy]

I have been copyrighting alot recently.

 

Make your account, then you are gonna pick sound recording, not performing arts (double check, but picking one encompases more, look at FAQ next to where they ask) they wil also ask who is the owner, who has the rights and who is to be informed and handed the certificate. I am owner of all my stuff so I just pressed the ADD ME button each time. It will ask if you did it for hire for a corporation, etc...easy to navigate site, really.

 

Also, if you had it pulished before (posted on soundcloud) makes a difference. Try to get as much of the published in together at the same time as you can to save money. Same goes for unpublished, try to get all your unpublished stuff copyrighten at once even if it's rough.

 

You will be asked to give a title for the compiled stuff and a title for each piece (the help links will guide you if you get confused on what they are asking). I pretended to have an album and used the title of one song to encompass the body of work, then named each song individually. AFTER you pay you can upload your work. I chose to upload MP3s but you can upload WAVs I think as well.

[RS1976]

when you start the registration process to copyright a SR, you can also include when you snail mail in lyric sheets. you can also submit lead sheets. all for $35.00

 

i recomend the snail mail process. you can upload everything electronically, but the time for the Copyright Office is still glacially slow. under good work estimates, you're looking at just under 3 months. (depending on the backlog)

 

you can expedite your work with a cool $730.00 (give or take) and they'll see you're locked and loaded... done within 10 days... (yeah I didn't think so)

 

easiest thing to do is just send in your hard copies of lets say a CD... also include lyric sheets notating on every sheet at the bottom.

 

"Lyrics by Mr XYZ, - Music arranged by Mr. XYZ, Mrs XYZ, and Dr. XYZ."

 

that's what we did anyways.

 

good luck.

[Valeriy]

Thanks for the information, Izzy.

[Izzy]

Just so ya'll have an idea of how long it takes to process a song at the copyright office...

 

I submited on march 31 and the official document came to me by mail today, June 14th. It was only one song by MP3.

 

Just for reference, roughly 2 and a half months.