Copyrighting a song involves finding the appropriate authorities, filling out paperwork, mailing a copy of the song, and paying a fee. In the US, it is done through the Library of Congress. It establishes ownership and date of creation to prevent theft and piracy. A “poor man’s copyright” is not always sufficient. The process takes one to six months, and copyrights may need to be renewed.
Many people want to protect their original property by getting a copyright. This is often the case with original music and songs, in order to prevent theft or piracy of potentially valuable material. In order to protect a piece, the owner must find the competent authorities and take all the necessary steps for verification and cataloguing. Different regions may require different procedures for copyrighting a song, but generally the process involves filling out paperwork, mailing a copy of the song, and paying a fee.
In the United States, a person can copyright a song through the Library of Congress. This government organization manages all US copyrights, including those for music. Forms are available on the Library of Congress website. In Canada, the Intellectual Property Institute of Canada provides the same service, while in the UK, the service is provided by the Intellectual Property Office. Most countries will have their own branch to handle these services.
It is important to note that under common law, the creator of a piece of material has an automatic copyright. The reason for copyrighting a song through a legal organization is to have a clear and indisputable record establishing the owner of a property and the date of creation. This can help fight thieves trying to steal copyrighted material and pass it off as work, or prevent piracy and illegal use of material.
Some people will get a “poor man’s copyright” by mailing a copy of the song to themselves, having a notarized and dated affidavit of ownership, or simply writing down details about the song’s creation and dating. While these are technically sufficient to prove a copyright, they don’t always hold up in court. In general, experts recommend using the established channels for copyrighting a song to avoid any possible litigation.
Most required song copyright forms ask for information about the piece, such as the title, date completed, and owner information. By signing a copyright claim, the submitting party swears that the attached material is theirs alone and cannot be claimed by another author. If a person knowingly lies about ownership to protect a song’s copyright, he could be charged with perjury in some regions.
After an application is submitted and rates are processed, there is typically a waiting period of one to six months. During this time, it is generally noted that the song has one question on file, should the question of ownership come up. Barring complications, the owner will receive a copyright confirmation within a few months. Keep in mind that copyrights may need to be renewed every few years.
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