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#990205 - 08/25/05 09:41 PM

Making changes to your own copywrite protected song

Jazzman
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Registered: 08/15/01
Posts: 1409
Loc: ,,Hartland MI,USA

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If I send in a copy of my music to the copywright office, then at a later date decide to add another part to it. Would I need to re-copywright protect the song? If so what happens to the earlier version at the office?

Iwas thinking to add some parts to a couple of songs of mine. I had sent them in two years ago.

Jazzman

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#990206 - 08/29/05 12:50 PM

Re: Making changes to your own copywrite protected song

bdbklyn
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Registered: 04/04/01
Posts: 1035
Loc: Los Angeles,CA,UNITED STATES

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You could copyright the new version also and then sue yourself....
Seriously, It happens all the time. Remenber that any audio recording that you produce can be copyrighted. The poor man's copyright (sending yourself a registered mail of the recording and not opening it) is an inexpensive way of doing it.

Bill

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#990207 - 09/07/05 06:11 PM

Re: Making changes to your own copywrite protected song

Jazzman
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Registered: 08/15/01
Posts: 1409
Loc: ,,Hartland MI,USA

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Thanks Bill for the info.

Jazzman

george

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#990208 - 09/10/05 01:09 AM

Re: Making changes to your own copywrite protected song

KeyBored
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Registered: 01/02/04
Posts: 14
Loc: LA-LA Land... where else?

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Beware!!! The method that BD mentioned is NOT legally valid and will not hold up in a court of law. There are other ways to copyright your catalog that are cost effective (doing songbooks, etc). But consider this...

IF you feel that the song you are talking about is worth protecting (let's face it - not every one is...) and is going to be submitted on a pitch soon then the cost of a single registration is a drop in the bucket compared to a legal battle later. Here's another reason you may want to keep your catalog registered;

If you register your work with the C.O. w/ in 90 days of publication (being pitched or made available to the public) then should a legal suit be brought and you prevail, you are entitled to all your legal costs as well as the settlement. Hello. Imagine a $250k judgement against $200k in legal bills. That's pretty good incentive...

Good luck and good tunes.

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#990209 - 09/13/05 01:54 AM

Re: Making changes to your own copywrite protected song

bdbklyn
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Registered: 04/04/01
Posts: 1035
Loc: Los Angeles,CA,UNITED STATES

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Sorry......but I don't answer all these questions off the top of my head.
This particular question was asked of a business attorney who deals with copyright questions day in and day out. The advice given, since there was already a copyright filed on the works, was that subsequent recordings of those songs didn't need to be re-filed. The lyrics and melody are protected under the original filed copyright.
The additional parts and that specific recording of such are covered under the registered unopened letter. I did not advise anyone to use the "poor man's copyright" as the exclusive means to register a work.

Bill Dooley

Bill Dooley

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#990210 - 09/23/05 12:45 PM

Re: Making changes to your own copywrite protected song

miroslav
Cosmic Cowboy
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Registered: 05/23/00
Posts: 11861
Loc: NY Hudson Valley, USA

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I have a tune I am working on right now (written and copyrighted back in the mid-80's)...to which I have just added another verse.

I'm not worried about re-submitting it because of the new verse...though one day, I may go ahead and do it anyway.

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miroslav - miroslavmusic.com

"Just because it happened to you, it doesn't mean it's important."

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