If my music is automatically copyright, then why copyright it?
If my music is automatically copyright, then why copyright it?
If when I write an album, and make a CD of it and purchase a UPC barcode, then under federal law, it’s automatically copyright, right? Then why would I pay the government to copyright it? Is there some advantage? If someone were to steal my music and I hadn’t gotten a Library of Congress copyright, I can still sue or claim it as mine, correct?
Thanks.
Tags: automatically, Copyright, Music
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1 Comment for If my music is automatically copyright, then why copyright it?
1. Mutt | February 15th, 2011 at 8:51 am
Do I have to register with your office to be protected?
No. In general, registration is voluntary. Copyright exists from the moment the work is created. You will have to register, however, if you wish to bring a lawsuit for infringement of a U.S. work. See Circular 1, Copyright Basics, section “Copyright Registration.”
Why should I register my work if copyright protection is automatic?
Registration is recommended for a number of reasons. Many choose to register their works because they wish to have the facts of their copyright on the public record and have a certificate of registration. Registered works may be eligible for statutory damages and attorney’s fees in successful litigation. Finally, if registration occurs within 5 years of publication, it is considered prima facie evidence in a court of law. See Circular 1, Copyright Basics, section “Copyright Registration” and Circular 38b, Highlights of Copyright Amendments Contained in the Uruguay Round Agreements Act (URAA), on non-U.S. works.
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