DRUMMER CAFE

I've written an brief article called Copyright Law - Learn the Basics. Perhaps you already read it and that's what inspired you to start this thread.

Once something is performed publicaly (even a drum solo), it automatically becomes property of the performer; whether or not they take the type to copyright it or not. The have been numerous cases of copyright infringement over the Internet, and the laws have been withheld ... so I'm personally not to worried about. I make a point to NOT but all my "good stuff" on the Internet. Even these 5-Minute Lessons that I do are not that intense; I stay very basic. I've got a family to feed, and just giving away my knowledge and experience for free doesn't really pay the bills.

Music is copyrighted, but it hasn't stopped Napster very well. The fact that the courts are still messing with it leads me to believe nothing is safe. My philosophy is this .... Whatever you do, do it quickly. Sell it like there is no tomorrow because as soon as the masses get a hold of it, someone will be devising a way to rip you off. It's sad to think like this I know, but that's the way the world has gone. People of integrity are a rare, rare breed.

Im only passing on what Mr Timms said to me....I cant prove it either way but it was something that cropped up in a similar discussion I had with him about copyrighting my work to place on the NET so I could feel confident that somebody isnt going to grab it and use it without my permission. I thought it was strange but it is what he said and he is into Bozzio big time.

I have to say that Im begining to believe that everythings up for grabs now....I JUST CANT UNDERSTAND PEOPLE....

But should it put me off having some kind of web presence ? Havnt decided yet.

I would recommend that you Copyright your material if you are concerned about it. If the song is good enough that you want to maintain your rights to it, you should copyright it.

Recording the material is the first step, which you've already taken. The next step is to have sheet music of your song. This can be anything from just a lyric sheet with the chord symbols written above it ... to full notation, complete with melody and rhythm lines notated.

If you go to http://www.copyright.gov you find the forms that you will need to fill out and send with a copy of your recording and the sheet music. For sound recordings you would need Form-SR; be sure to download the Instructions as well. Filing fee is $30 ... and they used to let you send several songs on one form for the $30; I don't know if they still do that or not.

If you've got a sound recording of your music, you've already got evidence that you recorded (and composed) the music ... so if anyone steals it, you can prove you had it first.

Some people do what is called a Poor Boy Copyright in which the pack the music (CD & sheet music) and send it to themselves via Registered Mail. When they receive their own package, they take that package and pack it into yet another package and send it to themselves again. The point in all of this is that you don't open the envelopes and that you keep the stamped seal on the packages to show that the material inside was created on or before the date on the package.
_{NOTE: I've heard that this method no longer holds up in a court of law; but I could be wrong.}

Unless you've got a bunch of songs, the normal Copyright procedure is cheaper; US Registered Mail isn't cheap!

(Let me preface this by stating that I'm not an attorney specializing in Copyright Law - I'll gladly defer to anyone who is, or who offers information obtained directly from such an attorney.)


I don't remember if you've mentioned this in the other thread, Bart, but as soon as something is in a fixed form, the creator owns the copyright (if it's a "work for hire," like writing a jingle for McDonalds, then the McDonalds corporation owns the copyright as soon as the material is in fixed form...but that's a whole other tangent.)

The registration of materials with the Copyright Office in Washington DC has to do with being able to prove ownership of copyright.  As I understand it, according to a friend of mine who worked in the Copyright Office at the Library of Congress for about a dozen years, the registration of your copyright really "hits the fan" when a copyright case reaches Federal court.  At that point, the judge will simply ask for proof of copyright, and whoever registered the piece with the C.O. will win the case, end of discussion.


Yes they do, at least the last I heard.  Simply collect the songs and give the collection a single title.  Could be anything:  "Songs Jim Wrote on Tuesday Afternoon" - but you'll register the copyright on the whole collection, and you'll protect the individual songs in the process.

It was also recommended to me by my friend at the LOC that for the tunes I wrote for my first CD, that I simply register the CD with the Copyright Office - that not only protects the songs themselves, but also the arrangements that I used, and anything else unique to those performances - for instance, if there was a great line that I played during one of my solos, someone couldn't take that and make their own song.


You'd have to prove when the recording was made; otherwise, someone could obtain the songs (via your recording or otherwise), and either register the recording with the Copyright office, or (more likely, IMHO) create lead sheets and submit them for registration.  Then, when it gets to Federal court, once again the registration of the Copyright with the LOC trumps all else.


Rather than repeat my comments regarding Federal court, I'll just say that as far as I know, this method won't hold up in Court.  At least, I wouldn't bank on it - YMMV.

To close,here's the usual Internet disclaimer:  don't get all of your legal advice from the Internet, and certainly not from me!  If you're not sure, spend a couple of hundred bucks to consult with an attorney who specializes in Copyright law - it'll be a great investment if you plan to continue in the music business.

Ive been worried about copyright for ages as it does seem that people can and do get away with...what is..theft. The advice that you gave Misenko is great BUT he lives in the UK and I feel that he really should contact similar companies in this country because there may be slight differences to the law. The UK is the same as far as if you created it..you hold the copyright but sadly I feel that there maybe loopholes that weaken that fact......The American and British loopholes maybe different and we all know how SLIMEY LAWERS can be.
Dont quote me on this...but at one stage, in the eightys I think, the sampling of so many peoples work got so bad that it was allowed to sample up to 14 seconds of somebody elses work and get away with it. Yes....I know i could be wrong about that last thing but it has kind of drilled itself into my memory. If i give yo another example....My dad was a mechanic and in his spare time he was a bit of...well..an inventor. He designed a new way for a four-stroke engine to breath better and produce far more bhp without turbos or supercharging. Well, he had contacts with both Ford and General Motors and all I can tell you is is that the guy at Fords told my father that if his design worked there wasnt anyway no copyright ect could stop them from having it..This even now has put my dad off doing anything about his idea......IT DOES MAKE YOU THINK !

musically i think a band is entitled to copyrights because its their form of art.  lets see if i kan say this with out getting jump all over i think once a drummer puts his stuff out it should be able to be used by other drummers. ie..a drummer comes up wihta phat new groove or a rythm that has never  been seen or even thougth of before if u kould kopy right it and make it so no one kould use it then drumming wouldnt advance..but this whole thing of copyrights isnt very klear cut there are a lot of gray areas and what if's involved