ASCAP/BMI and Copyright Protection???

Date: May 4, 2006

ASCAP/BMI and Copyright Protection???

Date: May 8, 2006

I have heard that it's always best to go directly through the government to get an official copyright seal, at least that is what I have mainly done. All copyright office application forms are available on the internet and may be downloaded and printed. The forms may be accessed and downloaded by connecting to the library of congress homepage on the world wide web and selecting the copyright link. The address is: http://www.loc.gov. Even though you song is already copyrighted the moment you finish it, it is always best to send copies of you songs to the government to have the official copyright seal. You can send as many as you like, but for each submission there is a $30.00 fee. At least that's what it used to be last time I checked. You can also do a poor boy copyright by mailing your song or songs to yourself. This may sound strange, but as long as you have the government seal, you should be safe. The safest way though is through the government. Also be sure you keep track of the songs you submit to the government, because there is a $75.00 an hour fee to have the government search to see if you have had a song copyrighted. Sometimes producers want a song copyrighted before you submit it to them. Other times producers will copyright the song for you.

Date: May 8, 2006

Actually, it's not a seal it is a certificate of registration. The registraction number/author are searchable via the web at http://www.copyright.gov/records/cohm.html

It still takes about 10-12 months for a certificate to be issued, assuming there are no questions, errors or typos:) Also, multiple songs can be submitted using form SR on one disk in the event that none of them have every been published.

So if ya got thirty bucks and 12 months to kill, it's the way to go.

Will it help? I think that deep pockets can overtake pure passion anytime it wants to. That being said, if one of my written pieces were being considered by others for publication, release or whatever, I choose a certificate of registration over word of mouth:)

Jack

...no really, I wrote that!

Date: May 10, 2006

Call ASCAP, BMI, and SESAC and they will walk you through it. I recommend calling all of them to see what they have to offer and to figure out which will be the most helpful. They're all hurting for cash, so they are really going out of their way to help new artists.I went with ASCAP about 12 years ago and they have been great.

That Master Writer software that we sell through here has a song registration service built into it. You click a button and it time stamps your work and sends it to a 3rd party data warehouse. It doesn't serve the same function as a performing rights organization, but it's fine for most non-pro artists.