Q: What if I have already received copyright documents from the Library of Congress, and then have made minor changes to the melody of a song? Recently I revised a melody completely for one of my songs, and intend to file those changes with the Library of Congress. But what about minor variations? Seems like changes in how a singer "expresses" the melody that is written are going to happen anyway.
-Fran

A: Dear Fran, I wouldn't worry about slight variations in the way a singer styles your song. If it came to a copyright infringement lawsuit, a jury would hear both songs and easily determine they were the same song if it even got that far. Having said that, there are meticulous copyright administrators who routinely reregister the new version every time a new recording of the song is released as extra protection. Unless you've got major artists cutting your songs it's hardly worth the money though. I hope this helps you to relax. Peace! -John Braheny