FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
about protecting and copyrighting your songs
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======================================== For general information only. This site does NOT offer legal advice. Consult an attorney for specific advice. ======================================== |
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-------- Quick Basics --------
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1. What does SongRegistration.com™ really do to protect my songs?
Music gets stolen more often than most people realize. It's easy to do. So if you're serious about your songs, PROTECT THEM BEFORE THEY'RE PLAYED OR DISTRIBUTED!
We provide everything needed to establish copyright of your original work. (As explained below, registering with the Copyright Office does NOT "copyright" it.)
This includes maintaining dated, backup copies of your songs and all composer information and providing you with copies of everything, including sworn affidavit and confirmation of the songs you've registered.
2. What about just sending a copy of my song to myself?
Commonly called the "poor man's copyright," DO NOT RELY ON THIS METHOD!
Courts do NOT recognize this method (mailing a copy to yourself or a friend, then trying to use the postmark as proof) since it's unreliable, too easy to tamper with, and you and your friends have an obvious BIAS.
Just ask yourself this: What proof sounds more persuasive in a copyright battle: Proof kept by YOU or your FRIENDS? Or the unbiased, sworn declaration and physical evidence prepared and maintained by an independent company in the business of registering songs for copyright verification?
(To read more about the Poor Man's Copyright Myth, click here.)
3. Please explain the whole SongRegistration.com™ registration process
(and how I "upload" my songs -- or can I MAIL them instead).
It's all done in 3 simple steps (by clicking the "Register Your Songs" button):
- Step 1: You list your titles and composer information.
Step 2: You pay the $29.95 registration fee for up to 4 songs (we accept PayPal, credit cards or you can mail a check).
Step 3: You use our Instant Uploader to browse your computer for your song files, then click a button to send copies of them to us.
Your song files can be in most any file format, as long as the words and music can be understood. You can send audio files (playing/singing the song), picture files (scanning sheet music or words), or text files (of the words and/or music). (Click here for sample formats.)
[Of course, if you only send us lyrics - without music - we can only vouch for those lyrics, not the music.]
And that's it! Once received, we send you all necessary proof of your dated submissions and retain redundant offline copies in multiple, secure locations (see Answer #8 for exactly what you receive).
And if you'd rather just MAIL everything to us instead (and you live in the U.S.),
CLICK HERE
4. If registering with the U.S. Copyright Office isn't necessary to protect
my work, then why does anyone bother doing it?
There are a number of reasons (such as registering before actually filing an infringement lawsuit), all of which are explained in the Copyright Office's circular (see answer 10 for a direct link) and can be done ANYTIME through the "life" of your copyright (see next answer)!
We also list other reasons for eventually registering with the Copyright Office in our Free Info Kit. But NONE of the reasons involves actually "copyrighting" your material.
In fact, we encourage you to eventually register your song with the Copyright Office (see next answer). But for the fastest, cheapest way to establish what's needed for your copyright, use SongRegistration.com™ first!
5. Can I register my compositions with SongRegistration.com™ now
(to help me immediately protect them) and then later also register
them with the U.S. Copyright Office?
Absolutely! So if your budget is tight — and you don't want to wait or deal with the formal registration process with the Copyright Office right now — at least register your songs with SongRegistration.com™ as soon as possible!
Then, if you later decide to also register with the Copyright Office — which can be done ANYTIME during the "life" of your copyright (which means during the songwriter's lifetime plus 70 years) — you will have already established necessary copyright information by having first registered with SongRegistration.com™!
6. Ok, how much does it really cost (and what's the catch)?
You can register up to 4 songs* for a one-time, total fee of just $29.95! That's less than $7.50 a song if you register 4 songs! No catches, no strings, no "membership fees," no annual or future costs. EVER.
Of course, you can always register more than 4 songs. And your total fee will never be more than $29.95 per "batch" (which is 1 to 4 songs submitted at the same time).
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* The only thing to remember is that, in order to receive this single $29.95 fee, we must be able to process all your songs (up to 4) AT THE SAME TIME (in other words, you must list and upload them together -- you can't submit one now, then a couple more a few days or weeks later). |
7. What if someone claims I gave away or sold the rights to my song?
Can SongRegistration.com™ help with such disputes?
No (and neither can the Copyright Office). We can only help you prove when the song was submitted and its contents. If you sell or assign the rights to your song to someone else -- or work for someone who by the employment contract owns whatever you compose while so employed -- that requires a separate contract agreement. Whoever claims ownership or transfer rights (from you) to the song would be required to show evidence of such a contract. We obviously can't help you prove anything about any separate contracts or agreements you may sign.
8. What if SongRegistration.com goes out of business?
First, we have no intention of going out of business and in fact have a proven track record of maintaining quality legal and professional websites, continuously, for the last 14 years!
Since SongRegistration.com first began, our popularity and inventory of original, registered songs have continued to grow beyond all projections.
For example, over the past two years (2008 and 2009) our total song registrations have increased by more than 300 per cent per year! (To read our January 2009 press release CLICK HERE.)
The reason is simple: We serve a critical function within the music community and offer our clients excellent service and security, at a very reasonable price. So we're not going anywhere!
But regardless, once you register your songs with us, we send back to you all documentation verifying the creation dates of your material. In addition, all song content is, and will continue to be, stored -- independent of the company's status -- at secure safety deposit facilities maintained by Wells Fargo Bank of California.
A. YOU receive:
• Certificate of Registration
• Dated proof of composer info
• Dated proof of song content
B. WE maintain secured copies of your songs and all registration data.
9. Are my copyrights good in other countries?
Yes. Although there's no such thing as an "international copyright" and each country's own copyright laws prevail in that country, most countries in the civilized world have treaties with each other regarding mutual copyright protection. For a list of these countries, here are two links:
10. Are you sure about all this? How can I read about copyright laws on my own?
Yes, we're sure. But since this information is not intended to serve as legal advice of any kind, we definitely encourage you to NOT take our word for it and instead read the actual federal copyright laws! Just click here to jump to the U.S. Copyright Office's official public circular explaining the copyright laws and procedures and what registering with the Copyright Office does and does not do! We also encourage you to check with an attorney knowledgeable in copyright and intellectual property law if you have any questions or concerns!
We have absolutely nothing to hide since we provide a quality, cost-effective service for our clients.