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Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 249
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OP
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Has anyone filed their own copyrights? where does one start to do such a thing? thanks tim
As Neil says: Keep On Rockin' in the Free World!
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Joined: May 2001
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Yes. You can go to the U.S. Copyright Web Site and either Register on Line, or order the forms by Mail. The PA Form or PA Short Form if you have no Co-Writers. On a song. http://www.copyright.gov/ Click on Registrations. Look for link to order forms/with instructions if you want to order forms.
Ray E. Strode
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Joined: May 2006
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Yes. Go to the page above and check out the ECO form. You can copyright everything on-line - a collection of up to 50 songs for $35 including sound recordings. There is absolutely no reason to pay someone else to do it.
If you go the on-line route, you will have a certificate in the mail within about 4 months. If you file on paper, it will take a year and a half for the certificate to show up. Either way, your copyright is registered from the day you file. Also note that you already own the copyright to anything you have written from the day you commit it to paper or to a recording.
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Joined: Jan 2001
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You start with having a professional project ongoing with your song or songs. Otherwise, what's the purpose of registering it that just costs money?
If even a bunch of people here or elsewhere steal your song, how are THEY going to make it a hit?! It takes professionals IN the music business to do that. So again, when you have something going on IN the music business with any song, THEN, register it. The copyright office is filled with millions of songs never to be looked up for any purpose. Good income for them though.
If you have songs that would be stolen, then you also should already have publishers signing those songs to make them the potential hits that they, in the business, think they are.
See my point? Spend your money on all other things related to your songwriting/recording.
Johnny
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Joined: Apr 2006
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By uploading your song to a site like Soundclick with lyrics, pretty much assures you of the copyright. Posting the song and lyrics here at JPF reinforces it. How can someone claim the song first if you published it first on the Internet? INAL, but I believe that would be a legal document.
The only reason besides what Johnny described already that you would use LOC would be to assure that the "thief" would have to pay punitive damages added on to the lost royalties and license fees that were owed to you if you were to go to court and win the case.
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Joined: May 2008
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There is no need to register your copyright. You have one as soon as you write the song.
T
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Joined: Feb 2005
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Yes Tim:
It's an expensive and aggravating pain in the posterior. Slow is not an adequate description of the process. Keep a record of the date you filed and follow up if you have not heard from them within a year.
Best of luck,
Dave
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Joined: Jan 2011
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OP
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Thank you all for the responses--
Tim
As Neil says: Keep On Rockin' in the Free World!
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Joined: Jul 2011
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If you file on paper, it will take a year and a half for the certificate to show up. I've filed by paper four times in the last six months. I received the first certificate back in 126 days and the second in 68. I'm still waiting on the other two (one I mailed on Wednesday, so I don't expect to hear back until March; the one before that I mail in October). I've never filed electronically.
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Joined: Jan 2001
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Aaron, Good! You should have a professional deal pending then on all those songs?! Hope so! That is the only worthwhile reason to file.
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